Why Don't You Do Right?
by smileplease91
Summary: He loved once and swore he never would again. It's no secret her feelings for him, and people are questioning his feelings for her. But Boone is never known to take the easy route, regardless what he feels. Can she make him feel again, or will he shut her out forever? Some of this is OOC and OC, but Fallout leaves a lot for your imagination.
1. Chapter 1

They had traveled together for quite some time now. She had learned his secrets, or what he would share, for the most part. His wife and unborn child were gone, and he was grieved with what had occurred at Bitter Springs. Curt, quiet, and perhaps a little on the unfriendly side, she got used to his mannerisms quickly; no lie, it took a bit out of her to keep from decking him the first couple times they spoke. Yet, she remained patient and understanding, despite his temperament.

It was no secret to him that she would leave with other friends just to get away from him for a while. She and Raul were pretty close, and he knew that she was working on becoming closer with Veronica (everywhere they went, she looked for a dress for her) and Arcade. Lily was... different. It was both sad and ironic that she thought the courier her grandson; Lily suffered from schizophrenia due to the Stealth Boys, and due to the gunshot to the courier's head, she had no memory of her life before the bullet. He thought her both fortunate and at a disadvantage. Whatever life she had before, whether good or bad, was gone now. In a way, he wished he could forget. Forget about Bitter Springs. About losing Carla and the baby. But then, why would he want to forget the best thing that ever happened to him? Carla made him... whole. Had things worked out and their child born... it would have been truly "whole".

But no. He had his debts to pay. Life was going to see to that.

Waiting at the Lucky 38 for her, ED-E, and Raul to return from whatever it was they were doing wasn't bad. It had been a while since he had some warm food and an actual bath. It was a little crazy with everyone else in there. Arcade tried to sneak peaks every now and then, with Veronica pulling on his ear each time he made the effort. Rex usually relaxed on a pillow, and Lily was... well, Lily. Cass resorted to the bar; he had to hand it to her- that gal sure could hold liquor better than any man he ever saw. He lowered himself down into the hot water, pulling his beret over his eyes... and then reached and pulled it off, a questionable look on his face as he stared at it. It smelled like her. She had only worn it for a day or so while investigating who had sold Carla to Legion. He shrugged and put it back on his head, over his eyes.

" _Why don't you travel with me?"_

Different. Carla was a blonde bombshell. Vivid blue eyes that captivated him, her full lips always in a smile when talking to him. That was before Novac, though. At Novac, she was miserable. He had wanted away from the noise and craziness, leaving New Vegas as quickly as he could; she followed, naturally, since they were married, but it wasn't what she wanted at all. No one in Novac understood her, not that she let them try. She more or so kept to herself. He urged her often to make friends, but she would just shake head. When she found out she was pregnant, they were both happy, hoping it would make a change for her and give her company.

And then, there was _her_. Short, unkempt brown hair (she was growing it back out. Doc Mitchell had to shave her to perform surgery), warm green eyes, and lips that weren't plump, but not thin, either. She was pretty, in her own way. Since she was always fighting or helping people, she didn't have the time to worry with makeup. She was thin... perhaps too thin, but from all the wandering and fighting. Tanned skin, and a scar that ran from just above her lip nearly to her chin. When he'd first met her, it was still healing. Powder Ganger had given her a good punch with brass knuckles, nearly knocking her teeth out. She was tough... so tough...

Carla would talk to make you forget. She, on the other hand, would listen to every word, taking it all in. She made you feel...

He let out a frustrated groan, snatching his beret off his head and tossing it to the bed behind him. Why was he comparing the two? Carla was his wife. ... _Was_. It had been a couple years now. A couple years of him investigating, looking for answers. He still needed answers.

 _Ding!_

He perked his head up. The elevator doors were opening, and sure enough, he heard Victor's voice say the usual, "High roller suite." But then... "Whoa, there, pardner. Ya'll need a doc fer that!"

"I'm here," he heard Arcade swiftly call. Immediately, he thought of Raul. He was a ghoul, sure, but he was old. He knew Arcade would take good care of him as he rose up out of the water, pulling the plug with his toe to let it out. He reached for a towel-

"Boone! Help!" Veronica called out to him, her voice expressing panic that made him skip putting on clothes and simply tying the towel across his waist, not even bothering to dry off. He opened the door to nearly bump into Veronica, who had blood on her hands.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked in his usual, calm demeanor. However, he didn't wait. Brushing her aside, he followed the commotion to see Arcade kneeling in front of both Raul and her. Raul had blood all over him, and she...

"Raul, look at me," Arcade soothingly ordered. "I need you to focus. What happened?"

"Them Legion people, ya? They jumped us."

Boone's blood ran cold. Arcade looked at Raul's leg and gave him a shake of the head. "I know it hurts, but you'll be fine. I'll get the bullet out in time, okay?" He then looked to her. "Jovie? Jovie, can you hear me?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Raul, you're fine. You did every-" Arcade glanced up to see Boone. "Good, you're here. Come here."

Boone made his way over. "What do you need me to do?"

"Sit on the couch. Your back on the arm rest. I'm going to lean her on you." Just as Boone sat down, Cass brought a bucket of water and a sponge. "Thanks, Cass. Do me a favor and help Raul to the other bedroom, yeah? You and Veronica clean him up as much as you can for me."

Without a word, Cass helped Raul up to his good leg and put his arm around her shoulders, helping him into the other bedroom. She closed the door behind them, and that's when Boone was noticing Arcade was taking off Jovie's armor.

"Uh... should I leave?"

"C'mon, Boone," Arcade fussed, his fingers slipping on a bloody button. "She's unconscious now, but that doesn't mean she won't wake up at any moment, fighting mad. I don't know if you've ever been hit by her or not- I have by accident. It hurts. Plus, I could use your help."

Boone pursed his lips momentarily. "But-"

"She'll understand. I'm sure she'll think us both hero- DAMMIT!"

Boone reached over and unlatched the final button to her NCR chest piece. It hit the floor with a thunk.

"Thanks."

"You nervous?"

"I don't know how bad it is... Raul was scared. I'm sure if he could cry, he would have been. Couldn't you see it?"

"Raul probably thought about Rafaela, is all."

"Who?"

Boone raised an eyebrow. "His sister?"

"I don't know about any of that."

Boone then realized... and kept his mouth shut.

Next came off her shirt, then her undershirt, leaving her top in just a blood-soaked bra. They saw it. Two gunshot wounds at her collarbone and shoulder, right side. Boone lifted her up slightly to see one exit wound.

"Arcade..."

He nodded. "I don't know if I can do this here..."

Boone shook his head. "This has to be better than at Mormon Fort."

Arcade let out a sigh and nodded. "I'll do my best." He reached in his doctor's bad and pulled out some Med-X, administering a single dose. "I don't know how long this will help."

Saying nothing, Boone just sat there, Jovie's blood covering him. Arcade snipped her bra off with a simple movement of his fingers, causing Boone to raise an eyebrow again.

"Please. I'm gay, but I've performed enough emergency surgeries to know how to unhook a bra," Arcade snidely remarked, proceeding to take a scalpel in hand. If it hadn't been for Jovie's life being on the line, Boone would've been eight shades of red, but he didn't care. He just wanted her to be okay.

Thanks to everything he had experienced, watching Arcade start digging around for the bullet lodged somewhere in Jovie's shoulder/chest area was nothing. At least, for a while. Then, he started to get annoyed. What on earth was taking so long?

"Um, Arcade?"

"I told you... this isn't easy," Arcade grunted, feeling around with his other hand. "I have to dodge vital- ah!"

"Got it?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Now I'll just-"

Suddenly, Jovie jerked and let out a loud gasp, her eyes opening wide. Boone latched around her tightly as Arcade kept the scalpel where it was so he knew where to return to, withdrawing with his hands raised, bloodied from her injury.

"NO! NO! LET ME GO!" she screamed, trying her best to fight out of Boone's grasp. "RAUL! RAUL!"

"Jovie! Jovie, relax! It's us!" Arcade insisted, but she was still confused and scared.

"YOU SICK FU-"

"Jovie- oof!" Arcade grunted as a boot collided with his face, knocking him off the couch.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" she fought, but Boone clung on harder.

"Hey. Hey hey hey," Boone whispered in her ear, easing slightly on his hold.

"DON'T FREAKING TOUCH ME!"

"Jovie, listen to me. You're here. We're not Legion." He noticed she stopped struggling as much. "Do you recognize my voice?" By now, the scalpel had fallen out, and Arcade was up on his feet, a bruise the shape of a boot already forming on his face. "Jovie?"

She stopped moving. "...Boone?"

He couldn't see her face, but he could tell by her voice. Anger, terror... she was crying.

"Yeah. It's me."

A cough escaped her lips, and she leaned her head back on his chest. "Oh god..."

"Do you know where you are?"

"...Lucky 38, looks like."

"Good," he nodded. "What's your name?"

"Jovie."

"Full name."

"...Zion Jovie Pruitt."

His mouth dropped open, as did Arcade's. "That was just a joke," he spoke slowly. "You, uh... you couldn't remember your name before. Right?"

She was quiet for a moment and just stared at Arcade's shocked face. Then, "Well, I guess I remember it now, huh? Guess it takes me nearly dying to get a piece of my brain back," she joked.

Boone smirked. "That's the gal I know. Upbeat as usual." He heard her sniffle. "That's the first thing you've remembered since we've met."

"Yeah..." her voice quivered. "Boone. Arcade. Is Raul...?"

Arcade shook his head. "He's fine. Just a gunshot wound to the leg, along with some bumps and bruises."

She relaxed more into Boone's arms, and he could feel her tears splash onto them. "I'm glad... I'm so glad."

Arcade inched closer to her. "I need to finish getting the bullet out, Jovie. Or Zion. Or whatever you want me to call you."

"Jovie's fine," she nodded.

"Need me to liquor you up?" Arcade asked.

"Nah," she shook her head. "I don't like hangovers."

"Want some Med-X?"

She shook her head again. "Save it for Raul."

Boone pursed his lips together. Always tough...

"Jovie, this is a worse wound than Raul's. You need another Med-X."

"No," she shook her head for the third time. "I'll be fine. Boone's got a pretty good hold on me." She glanced up at him, and he could see the tear trails on her dirty face. With a wink, she grinned at him. "Right?"

He nodded, and Arcade let out a hesitant sigh. "At any moment this becomes too much, tell me. Okay?"

"Roger that," Jovie saluted weakly with her other arm. She let it fall to the side limply and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she watched Arcade bring the scalpel closer to her.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Immediately, Boone felt her body tense up against his, and her head threw back even more. Her lips were pursed together, and her eyes were closed. Arcade glanced up at Boone, who just nodded.

"Hey, Jovie?" Boone spoke.

"Hmm?" she grunted.

"Your face is really dirty."

A painful laugh came from her. "Just my face? Really?"

He smiled. And for him to smile... He shrugged at the thought. It was for her. "You wanna know something funny?"

"S-Sure," she winced, her other hand gripping onto his towel tightly. She had no idea what she was grabbing. All she knew what she was in pain.

"I had _just_ taken a bath when you and Raul waltz in here, all banged up like you are."

Unable to contain herself, she let out a cry, her back arching from pain.

"That's it. I'm getting the Med-X."

"Arcade, no," she insisted firmly. Her back relaxed, and she smiled weakly. "Keep going. I got this." She looked up at Boone. "Welp, looks like you're gonna hafta take another."

He nodded. "Got that right. Guess it's all right since it's House's, huh?"

Her eyelids fluttered, making Boone and Arcade exchange worried glances. Arcade reached for his doctor's bag and shuffled around in it hurriedly.

"Y-Yeah," she nodded slowly. "Guess so."

"You doing okay?"

"I'm fine."

Boone nodded and placed his chin on top of her head. "That's right. You're fine. You'll be fine."

"Mm-hm..." She then reached up with her good arm and put it on Boone's forearm. "Oh... tell Veronica... I got her a dress."

"Yeah? Where?"

"I think... it's back where... they attacked..." she stopped. Arcade rose to his feet and ran out of the room, leaving Boone confused as to where the hell he was going. "I think it's ruined. Tell her... tell her..."

"Yeah," he finished.

"Boone?"

"Hmm?"

"You didn't get to... did you?"

For some reason, he understood the question completely. He shook his head. "No."

"Think you can... to me?"

He shook his head. "No."

"It's because I'm me... isn't it?"

"No."

She let out a weak laugh. "Your favorite word..."

"I'm not saying it because I'm just not going to," he firmly spoke. "Got it?"

She was quiet again. He wanted to move but didn't.

"Boone?"

Internally, he sighed a breath of relief. "Yeah?"

"You think... Carla would've liked me?"

"No."

She chuckled again. "I see."

He held her closer to him, feeling her heartbeat weakening. He knew it. Where the hell had Arcade gone?

"You two are really different." He waited, but she didn't say anything. "It's not a bad thing."

"I wish... I could've met her..." She then reached for her shirt, which Boone picked up for her. She stuck her fingers in a front pocket and pulled out a bloodied photograph, holding it up for her and Boone to see. "Manny... he gave it to me." Boone felt as though he had been punched in the gut. She dropped it to the floor. "I used to think if I gave it to you... it would make you happy again." She smiled. "I was dumb, huh?" This time, he didn't say anything. "Go ahead and say it." Still nothing. She looked to the side and closed her eyes. "She was beautiful. Unlike me. Even if she hadn't liked me... I would've tried to have been her friend. I think... she was real lonely." She let out a long breath. "Like me." She shifted slightly. "...Hey, Boone?"

Nothing.

Then, silence.

Boone sat in a chair, watching her sleep. Arcade had went to find a blood bag, as Jovie had lost a lot of blood and was fading fast. He had made it in the nick of time.

He was still in his towel, her dried blood on him. Arcade had cleaned her up, and he did a great job in helping her. Raul would be on crutches for a while, and they weren't sure when Jovie would be back in commission, not that they cared. They were just glad she had survived. Cass and Veronica had taken her armor and clothing to repair and wash the blood out as much as they could. Her bra and shirt were useless, so they got her a newer pair. Lily would make this god-awful soup, which she insisted Boone try to feed to Jovie. He would give it to Rex, making Lily think that he was feeding it to Jovie. As much as Lily was crazy, Boone actually liked her. Boone thought everyone in the 38 was all right, to be honest.

There was a knock on the door, and Cass came in, shutting the door behind her. In her arms was a bucket of hot water and a sponge. "I reckon since you're not gonna leave her side, I'd bring ya this so you could get the blood off ya. I'll get your clothes in a minute."

She sat the bucket down beside Boone, who muttered a thanks. Her hands went to her hips as she looked from Boone to Jovie.

"Arc says she's gonna be just fine. You really should get some sleep. Don't know what you're all worried for."

He didn't look at her. "Me either."

Cass sighed, reached for a chair, and pulled it up beside him, plopping down on it. "Carla, right?" His eyes darted to her, and she shrugged. "You talk in your sleep."

Boone relocated his eyes back to Jovie. "That was her name. Yeah."

"She ain't her."

"What? I know that, Cass."

"Don't you get any mixed feelin's," Cass harshly spoke. "Jovie's a good gal. She got me out and helped me when no one else could. She feels bad what happened to ya, and to be honest, I think she likes ya. But she knows." Boone clenched his jaw. "Be nice to her. But don't give her false hope."

Boone felt like breaking something. "Listen, Cass. Carla's gone. I know that. And it hurts like hell. Jovie kinda... helps, I guess? She's peaceful."

Cass laughed. "Peaceful? Jovie?"

"Outside of fighting for our lives, yeah. She's peaceful."

Cass studied the sleeping Jovie for a bit then nodded. "Reckon I can see that. Yeah." She then leaned back in her chair. "You're confused." Boone threw his hand out with a grunt, waving off her comment. "Don't you do that. You know you're confused."

"How about you mind your business?"

Cass rose to her feet with a grin and headed to the door. "And that is the answer to my question." She reached for the knob. "Clean up and put some clothes on, will ya? Wouldn't wanna embarrass her when she wakes up, do you?"

She left the room, closing the door behind her. Angrily, Boone reached down in the hot water, grabbed the sponge, brought it out of the water and rung it out, going over his torso where she had bled on him, washing off her dirt, blood, grime, but not his confusion and the questions he had.


	2. Chapter 2

She ran behind a broken down, toppled over freight from a train, her shoulder bleeding as she unloaded the stock from her empty gun. Hurriedly, she reached in her pack and pulled out another stock full and loaded it, panting as she peered around the corner, hearing the pounding footsteps growing louder. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, almost in sync with the footsteps that were drawing closer and closer. Then, a giant claw whipped around the corner, making her jerk backwards, and the mouth of the beast could be seen as it opened itself up and let out an ear-shattering roar.

A distant gunshot, and the beast let out a pained growl, reeling back as its arms reached back, clawing at the fresh wound on its back. Jovie let out a sigh and jumped to her feet, climbing the freight and disregarding her shoulder's pain. Where...? She could see it. The distant glare of his scope caught in the sun's gleam. The deathclaw was still searching for him, but he had managed to hide himself pretty well in the dense layers of rock and boulders. Putting her Brush gun up on her shoulder, she aimed down the sights and fired... and missed as the deathclaw jumped to the side. It turned to her again, and it two steps reached her, its massive arms knocking the freight out of its way; she collapsed onto the ground, the Brush gun out of arm's length.

Another distant gunshot, but this time closer. The beast growled again and turned, and when she looked, he was walking _towards_ them, his gun on his shoulder as he ejected the shell, ready to shoot again. It began to charge.

"BOONE, GET AWAY!" she screamed. He shot again, this time, the bullet piercing the deathclaw's head. Yet, it would take more than that to bring it down. They had been fighting it for a while now, and she had already emptied herself of 20 gauge shotgun shells. Quickly, she grabbed onto her Brush gun, rose up, and ran to the side so if she missed, she wouldn't hit Boone, who in the meantime shot again. The deathclaw reached Boone and swiped one of its massive claws at him. Boone had admitted to her once that he was not adapt at close range combat, but he managed to duck- however, he was unable to dodge the backhanded swipe of the beast, and he flew to the side, he sniper rifle being knocked out of his hands as he hit the desert ground and slid several feet. Jovie couldn't worry herself with him. She had to focus, or they would both be...

Aiming down the sights, she shot, the bullet entering through the ribs of the deathclaw, who was honing in on Boone. Boone had managed to get up on his hands and knees, gasping for air before reaching in his holster and withdrawing a pistol, turning around quickly and emptying a clip into the deathclaw, which slowed it down for a moment. Jovie ran closer, still keeping Boone out of her path, and knelt down on one knee to steady herself better. Aiming again, she could see Boone eject the empty clip and quickly load a full one. She shot...

The bullet pierced the beast's left eye, blinding it in that eye and causing it to barely miss Boone as it swiped, the gust causing dust, sand, and small rocks to blow all over Boone, who shielded himself by covering himself with his arms. As it howled in pain, it began to frenzy, desperately throwing its claws about. Boone rolled out of the way jumped to his feet, going around the beast and running to his sniper rifle, picking it up. Far enough away, Jovie pulled a grenade out of her bag and took the pin out with her teeth, spitting it out.

"BOONE, COVER!"

Not needing to look, he knew. He jumped behind a boulder and covered his ears as Jovie threw the grenade, which exploded on impact with the beast.

"NOW!" she ordered, and he rose up, honed in on his target, and shot.

At last, the deathclaw collapsed, dead. Jovie, panting and tired, ran over to Boone to check on him, picking up his beret and broken sunglasses along the way. He had disappeared behind the rock once he had shot, and there was no time for celebration after defeating one of the Mojave's most powerful beasts. Once she got closer to the rock, she slowed down when she saw his hand just lying on the ground with blood on it. She had forgotten... deathclaws have tough hides.

"Hey," she called out to him, rounding the rock. "You dropped these."

He had one hand on his side that the deathclaw had struck him, and she could see it had torn his armor and clothing, as well as gashed his side. Eyes closed, head tilted back on the rock, he winced as he opened his eyes and looked at her, seeing his beret and broken sunglasses being handed to him. He grunted, a grin on his face as he reached up and took hold of them, his hand then dropping back down to the ground.

"Thanks, but I think the glasses are a lost cause."

She chuckled as she sat down beside him, her own shoulder bleeding. It had yet to heal, and she had insisted on going out to help Rex with his new brain in Jacobstown. The deathclaw... what was it doing there? Not that it mattered anymore. She brought a knee up and leaned her arm on it, leaning her head back on the rock as well, still trying to catch her breath. After a moment, she looked at Boone.

"You gonna be all right?"

He nodded rather slowly. "How far is it to Jacobstown?"

She pulled up her Pipboy, scrolling through until she found the map. "Not far. I gotta call Rex... I told him to run."

"Don't bother," Boone gruffly told her, motioning his head forward. "Here he comes."

She looked ahead to see Rex running their way, and within seconds, he was there, licking her sweaty face. "Good boy," she praised, her throat dry and itchy. "We're about there, okay? You'll get a new brain, and you'll be right as rain." She pet him and looked at Boone again. "Come on. On your feet."

"Yeah." He went to stand up, but struggled. She knew... He had been hit too hard. She wasn't sure the damage he had endured from the hit. Using the butt of his sniper rifle, pushed himself up, grunting as he did.

"All right. Step one, good to go," Jovie encouraged. She looked overhead... the sun was starting to go down. Not good. "We've got a hill to go up. Ready?"

"Yeah."

She then reached and took his beret from him, putting it on his head. "You're gonna need that." She looked at her Pipboy again and turned in the direction of the town. "Let's get goin'."

Jovie started walking, and she heard scuffling behind her. He was moving at least. Rex kept back with him, ensuring he was moving. They moved even further, Jovie replacing her Brush gun with a 10mm pistol, holding it at ready. If they didn't move faster, they wouldn't make it before nightfall.

"Boone? How we doin'?"

"Less talkin', more walkin'," he winced.

"Gotcha," she nodded.

"J-Jovie. Raiders. Left."

She turned to her left to see two raiders running up, and with two quick shots, they were downed. She smirked. "Heh, nothing like a deathclaw, right?" A shot behind her made her jump, and when she wheeled around, she saw Boone had his sniper rifle on his shoulder. It took her a moment to find it, but up on a hill was a dead raider. He grunted, Rex whining and pawing at his leg. Jovie took a step toward him, concerned about his situation. Not that long ago, if it hadn't been for Raul, she...

"Let me help," she offered, reaching out for him.

"I'm fine," was his hoarse reply.

"Sure you are," Jovie sarcastically retorted. "Now show me by actually moving, dammit! It's almost dark, and I don't wanna be out here when it is!"

He glanced at her, and she knew it had reached him. Boone was an ex-NCR soldier. All he knew was toughness. If this was how she was going to get to him, so be it.

"Roger that," he agreed, hastening his speed. They got to the beginning of the hill, to which Jovie let out an incredulous laugh.

"I thought this thing said it was just a hill. This is a damn mountain."

"Guess we got some climbing to do."

"Yeah," she nodded. "You need a shoulder?" He shook his head. "Of course not." She looked forward. "Let's just stay on the road. No shortcuts. It's too late for that kind of risk."

Onward they started, sometimes having to take a break here and there for Boone to catch his breath. She could hear him wheezing... ribs broken, surely. After killing a couple giant mantises, they reached the top, only to be greeted by two Supermutants... and that was when Boone toppled over, losing consciousness.

XXXXXX

 _Blonde hair, bright blue eyes... he hadn't seen it in so long. Was it..._

" _Carla?"_

"You're confusin' this ugly mug with someone you know?" a gruff voice came back. His vision cleared, and there stood a female ghoul dressed as a doctor. Groggy, he tried to raise up in the bed but couldn't.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"My name's Calamity," she replied. "I'm Dr. Henry's assistant. He helped fixed your dog Rex."

"He's not my dog, but-" he then stopped and jerked up, his side searing with pain. "Jovie! Rex! Where are they?"

Calamity crossed her arms and leaned the weight of her body on one leg. "That pretty gal that was with ya? She headed back to New Vegas. Said she had a promise to keep to someone named 'The King'."

Boone felt the tension in his body ease some. "So, she's okay?"

"As far as I knew. Had a messed up shoulder, but Dr. Henry patched her right up," Calamity answered. "She's tough, that's for sure."

Boone remembered the deathclaw battle, and when Raul had burst into the Lucky 38 with her in his arms, her barely hanging on. Even then, despite those moments, she still had a smile on her face and joked. He nodded. "Yeah... she is."

Calamity then looked behind her. "Dr. Henry, he's awake."

Dr. Henry walked up to the both of them and looked down at Boone. "Finally. Four days is long enough, don't you think?"

Boone's breath hitched in his lungs. "Four days?"

Dr. Henry gave him a nod. "Your friend left two days ago. Wanted to make sure both you and Rex would be okay." He shrugged. "Good dog. Strong dog. I'm sure he'll do just fine from now on." He then jerked when he noticed Boone getting up out of bed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going."

"I can see that," Dr. Henry sharply addressed, watching Boone put on his torn shirt and armor. "Look, it's great that you're awake, but you still need rest. Jovie said something about a deathclaw attack. Take your time."

"She's traveling alone with Rex. I gotta find her."

Dr. Henry put his hands on Boone's shoulders. "Now, listen. I know you're worried about her. She was real worried about you- I'm surmising you two are close. But you're in no shape to go off on your own. Do you know how close your ribs were to puncturing your lungs? That beast did a number on you."

"Yeah, but did she tell you she barely survived an attack from a group of Legionnaires two weeks ago?" Silence. "Thought so. She's in no shape, either."

"You're two days behind, though," Calamity pointed out, crossing her arms. "And you traveling alone in your condition isn't wise, either."

Boone's heart raced. Frustrated... Why did he feel this way? "Look, are you gonna let me go or not? Because the only way you'll keep me here is if you strap me down on that bed."

With a flustered sigh, Dr. Henry let him go. "Fine. Have it your way. But don't make my work on saving you worthless, got it?"

Boone nodded, giving him a wordless thanks. Calamity walked to a desk and reached into a drawer, pulling out several stimpaks and handing them to Boone. "I'm not sure how important she is to you. She made it seem you were acquaintances, if that. Just take care of yourself."

Boone took the stimpaks and put them in his pack. He put the strap of his sniper rifle on his shoulder and headed out of Jacobstown.

XXXXX

Two days. He didn't stop for two days, no matter what he felt like or how much pain he was in. He knew how to get to New Vegas from Jacobstown; years as a soldier for the NCR, he had been nearly everywhere. He found a pair of sunglasses after he killed a group of raiders that had attacked him somewhere along the way, along with some ammunition and some more stimpaks. When the pain became too much, he would use one, but only when he couldn't handle it any longer. He made sure to keep an eye out or Jovie wherever he went.

" _I'm pregnant, Craig."_

He blinked and wiped the sweat off his brow, the intense desert sun and heat making him want to see refuge in shade somewhere. Maybe it was the heat that was making him think too much. No, that was ridiculous. It was being alone.

 _He looked at Carla as they sat on the bed together, his hand on top of hers._

" _Pregnant? Are you sure?" She smiled as she nodded. "How do you know?"_

" _I'm three months late. I don't think you can get any more certain than that."_

" _Then... then this is great!" he laughed as he embraced her. They fell back on the bed, and she giggled in his ear. He put his hand on her stomach. "Would explain why you've been throwing up so much, huh?"_

" _Guess so."_

 _He sighed as he rose up slightly and looked down into her eyes. "I know you've been lonely here, Carla. It's been hard on you."_

 _She shook her head. "I just don't think people like me very much here. I'm just... different." She then smiled. "But that's okay. I have you, and soon the little one, too." She kissed him. "Thank you for this."_

 _He laughed. "I should be thanking you. To think, I'm going to be a dad."_

" _You'll do great. I know it," she assured. She then rose up, and he could tell something was troubling her. "I'm just worried about something."_

" _Yeah? What is it?"_

 _She twisted a strand of long, blonde hair around her index finger. "Jeannie May..."_

" _Carla, we've talked about this."_

 _Carla bit her lip and let go of her strand of hair. "I know, Craig, but... she keeps staring at me. It's not normal. I don't like her."_

" _You've barely talked to her."_

" _Because I get a bad feeling when I do," Carla retorted, sounding slightly exasperated. "Craig, please... just... keep an eye on me, okay? I don't trust her."_

 _Boone sat up as well and put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her cheek. "I promise, I will. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, but I'll make sure you're safe."_

Boone pulled out a pistol and shot a molerat that was running towards him.

 _His wife flashed him one of her trademark smiles that he knew to only be associated to him. "Thanks."_

He could see the lights of New Vegas as he drew closer. He glanced to his side to see Horowitz Farmstead, and he knew he was close... as well that he was now in Fiend territory. He knew that Jovie and Rex had to have come this way, and he wondered how they fared. They had taken down the leaders long ago, but there were still those around that just seemed to never get bored of killing innocents. Jovie... she had to be all right.

" _You think... Carla would've liked me?"_

Maybe his answer was too hasty. But they were two very different people. Perhaps. Carla would only associate with someone once she got to know them. Jovie was unafraid of meeting new friends... or enemies. That's what made her so dangerous.

Dangerous? With Cass, he had described her as peaceful.

It wasn't Jovie who was dangerous. It was her heart and soul. She could hold her own, that was certain, but she wanted to test the waters first. Her coming up behind him on the dinosaur was extremely dangerous, but there she had been. And that was where it all started.

Gunfire. He stood still a moment to listen, monitor the direction it was coming from. He turned east and ran, taking his rifle off his shoulder. Maneuvering through the dilapidated homes, he could see the fire of laser weapons. Definitely raiders. But the also heard other gunfire. Rounding the last house, he took aim down the scope at a raider and fired, a perfect headshot. To the side of that one was another raider, and before they even had time to react, he ejected the shell and popped one into her. Then, the shooting was over. He exhaled a breath of relief, eyeing the perimeter just in case-

"You sure you're all right? Why don't you head back to New Vegas to rest? I'm sure that was a scare," he heard a familiar voice speak. It sounded as though it was around the building in front of him, so he ran around it.

"I'm fine. You saved my life," a man spoke. "I'm from the Crimson Caravans, so it's not far. Thank you so much."

He could hear a Brahmin let out a moo as the man and his pack took off, and then, he saw her, her back to him, her 10mm in her hands. She stretched her shoulder out before holstering her gun and started forward, him knowing she was heading towards Jacobstown... back to where she last left him.

"You sure make it a hell of a task to find you," he managed to call out to her. She stopped and wheeled around, a surprised look on her face.

"Boone?! What in God's name are you doing here?!" she gasped as he drew closer to her. "You're supposed to be in Jacobstown, resting!" He didn't reply, confusing her. "Look, I know you're probably upset I left you there, but they said you needed rest. And I made a promise to the King that I'd bring him Rex once-"

His arms extended and took her into them, bringing her close to his body and wrapping around her. She stopped talking, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open as shock took over. What on earth was going on?

"I want you safe is all," Boone quietly spoke.

She glanced up at him. "You were worried?"

He nodded. "I may not act like it, but... you mean something to me. I don't have... I mean..." He exhaled in frustration. "I'm not good at stuff like this, but I don't have many I'd consider friends." He held her tighter. "They told me you'd left, and I..." He pulled her away, and she was visibly confused, but also appeared upset.

"I wanted to help you," she began, clenching her fists. "Raul helped me. He carried me, despite his injuries. It's what friends do, Boone. You could barely function."

"It's how we were trained in the-"

"To hell with the NCR!" she shouted, clenching her fists harder. "You're not with them anymore, Boone!"

"But you are."

"What does that matter?!" she yelled. She then inhaled and exhaled. "We're friends... right?"

The question made something in Boone's chest jump. Friends... What were they? "Calamity said you told her we were acquaintances."

"Just answer my question."

Boone put his hand on her cheek. "Yeah. We're friends."

She looked up into his eyes, her green eyes filled with doubt and so many emotions, he couldn't even begin to comprehend them all. "Then let me help. You hurt, I hurt. It goes for everyone." She pulled away from his hand. "You said you want me safe. Don't you think that's what I want for you, too?" He looked away from her. "Don't you think that's what Carla would want?"

"Carla's gone."

"But don't you?" She then cracked a knuckle. "And Manny. Boone, you two may have had your falling-out, but he misses you. He still wants your friendship back. It's time to repair things, but you can't do that if you get yourself killed due to your stubbornes and lone-wolf ideologies." She stepped toward him. "Look at me!" His eyes focused on hers, and he could see a fire in them. "I'm not Carla. I'm not Manny. I'm not any of those you knew when you were in the NCR. But I've had my fair share of shit, too, and I need you to trust me. I need you to need me."

The last sentence felt like a cazador sting, and he instantly felt guilty. Then, he felt a tinge of anger. "What do you think I felt when you were dying in my arms? Think I was emotionless with that? That I was thinking I would be okay, that I didn't need you? Huh?" At this, it was her turn to feel guilt. "Scared the shit out of me. Why do you think that is?" He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "I'm the one who goes off on my own, you say? You're always taking these tasks, the jobs people put on you, that are dangerous. Without even so much as caring for your own well-being. Not to mention we've not even been to The Tops to see Benny, which I figured you'd go on your own without telling anyone. Am I right?"

She took hold of her arm with the other hand, her eyes on the ground. "It's my burden to bear."

"Bullshit," he nearly growled. "I get it. You want answers. You want to know why he did what he did. But you go in there alone, and then what? Hmm? He won't have bodyguards to back him up? They won't try to do anything to you? Benny nearly killed you once, Jovie. You go in there, I'm going with you."

Jovie laughed. "They'll take your weapons, y'know."

"Yeah."

"And you're not very good at hand-to-hand combat."

"I know."

"So, what then?"

"You can use anything as a weapon, Jove. Hope you know that."

She laughed again and nodded. "'Ex-NCR soldier Craig Boone kills a man with a poker chip at The Tops. More to come after this song.'"

This made Boone laugh as well. "I'd do it, too."

They shared a laugh for a bit, then Jovie glanced back toward New Vegas. "Well, since you're here, might as well head back to Lucky 38. I need a rest, and I'm sure you do, too."

"I need a bath, is what I need," Boone muttered, following her as she started walking.

And then, something weird happened. Maybe it was the sun, or his exhaustion, but he could have sworn to have seen Carla walking by Jovie's side, her arms behind her back, hands locked, looking at her with a smile. He blinked, and she was gone.

" _You think... Carla would've liked me?"_

"Yeah."

Hearing a random "yeah" from Boone made Jovie stop in her tracks and look back at him.

"Huh?"

Boone rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Before, when you asked me if Carla would've liked you..."

"Where did that come from?" Jovie asked, titling her head to the side in confusion.

"I've done a lot of thinking on my own." He wasn't lying, but how would she understand what he had just seen. "Anyway, I was wrong. Carla. She would have liked you."

This made Jovie smile. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do," Boone effortlessly replied. "You two are different, but... so were we. I think you two would've been good friends. Had you been in Novac, I don't think she would've been so lonely."

Jovie's eyes filled with tears, but she held them back with her usual smile. "I'm happy to hear that. Really, I am."

Without another word, they headed back to New Vegas. Boone knew he would rest easy for the first time in two days.


	3. Chapter 3

They knelt behind boulders, Boone looking through the scope of his sniper rifle, Jovie behind him. Silence... The NCR soldiers on the hill above them watched, eagerly awaiting their command.

"Boone. What do you see?" Jovie whispered.

He lowered his rifle and kept an eye on the movement of the Legionnaires. "This isn't good. There are a lot, Jove. Who knows how many are in the houses."

Jovie bit her lip then tapped Boone's shoulder. They switched positions quietly and carefully, him handing her his rifle. She looked through the scope as well for a time and hung her head.

"This has to work. They need a win, and they need it here." She looked through the scope again and muffled a gasp by clamping her mouth shut.

"What? What do you see?"

"Boone... there are soldiers on crucifixes."

"What?" Boone grabbed his rifle, moving beside her and looking through. He gritted his teeth. "Shit..."

He felt her hand on his shoulder. "We can't leave now." Then, she was gone. His eyes scanned the area until he found her sneaking up the hill to the soldiers. He watched her as she said some words to them, which by the looks on their faces, they seemed not to be too fond of. She then made her way back down to him and pulled out Li'l Devil from its holster. "Boone. You ready for some close combat?"

Boone pulled out his pistol as well, checking its ammunition. "Just the two of us, huh?"

"They'll be firing support," she responded, adding more ammunition to Li'l Devil. "I couldn't risk it. Not after everything."

He nodded. "Sure. We'll sneak, take out as many as we can as quickly as we can without being detected. They can pick off what we can't."

"Mm-hm." She inched forward some, squatting, her pistol aimed forward. "Boone?"

"Hmm?"

"Try not to die on me."

He held back a laugh, and started sneaking around the other side of the boulders to flank the Legionnaires from both sides. Jovie inched her way forward, hoping the gravel wouldn't make too much sound to give away her position. Glancing up at the NCR soldiers, they all had worried looks on their faces, but each gave her a nod, readying their weapons. First shot came from Boone, immediately followed by another. Hurriedly, she snuck-

"Where the hell did that come from?!"

They were searching for Boone-

Gunfire. From her. A legionnaire went down without a sound, a bullet to the skull.

"TO ARMS!"

"Alert Dead-" a grunt, and he fell.

"Release the dogs!" another legionnaire ordered.

Gates lifted, and she knew it was only a matter of time before they were found. But then, one by one, they were picked off by the soldiers on the hill, who were well hidden. Out of the houses ran some of the soldiers... all but one. "Dead" whoever... must be the leader. They surrounded the house. _Idiots,_ she thought to herself, _giving away your commander's location_. She scuffled behind one of the homes to see a Legionnaire behind it, holding a Brush gun. Before he could open his mouth, she shot him dead.

"A male! NCR beret!"

She jerked and peered around the house to see two snipers on lookout points, their rifles raised. One shot but thankfully missed. Boone hunkered behind a boulder large enough to keep him safe, but now his position had been compromised. Jovie whipped back around, reloaded, and peered back around, raising her gun at one of the snipers. She aimed and took the shot, the sniper falling dead.

"What the hell?!" the other sniper cried out. Another shot from the hill, and he, too, was dead. More shots from the hill, and a couple of the Legionnaires guarding their commander were taken down. A shot from the northwest... They had scattered and now were regrouping. Jovie moved cautiously- she felt her body being slammed into the rocky canyon wall, a Legionnaire grabbing at her arms.

"Got you, you bitch."

She fought back as much as she could, finally headbutting the legionnaire's nose. She heard the crunch of the fragile bone breaking, and he reeled back, blinded temporarily. When he had slammed her into the wall, she had dropped her gun, so she brandished her knife went to stab him, but he had regained his senses and blocked the assault. Another gunshot, this time from Boone, filled her ears. She ducked, avoiding a punch from him, but unable to avoid a kick to her face. She was knocked to the ground, instantly tasting iron, and immediately, his foot was placed on her throat.

"You... you are a problem. Think I don't know what you did? We should've killed you then."

His foot pressed firmer on her throat, cutting off oxygen to her lungs. She struggled, kicking, her hands on his foot in efforts to push him off, but to no avail. Letting go, she trashed about, trying to find it. Her knife... where...?

"You're pretty, you know that? Lucky me that I get to break that pretty little neck of yours."

She finally felt its hilt, picked it up, and stabbed it into his Achilles' tendon. He screamed in agony, then screamed again when she pushed it outwards, slicing it clean in half. He fell backwards, and that's when she heard a gunshot, making her jump. But it wasn't at her. She turned around to see Boone, his pistol aimed at the man. She started coughing, gasping for air, getting up on her hands and knees to pick up her gun.

"Jove, you okay?"

She nodded and rose to her feet, staggering slightly. Boone had a wound to his face that seemed to be from where a bullet had grazed his cheek and a tear to his pants where there was blood. She glanced but knew enough he had found a dog that the NCR soldiers had missed and was bitten.

"The Legionnaires surrounding their commander's cabin are dead. There are more houses, but I had the rest come down."

She caught her breath, rubbing her bruising neck. "What of those on the crucifixes?" she asked, her voice raspy.

"I... haven't checked yet."

"Boone!" She ran toward the center of Nelson and up the platform to the three NCR troopers on the crucifixes, Boone following. "Boone, they're still alive! Help me get them down!"

He knelt down, where she put her legs over his shoulders, then rose up, letting her untie the ropes that bound their hands and feet as he held onto her legs to keep her from falling. Somehow, she caught each soldier as they fell forward, then lowered them to Boone, who placed them on the ground. Once it was finished, the NCR soldiers had joined by then, and Boone motioned for them to come over.

"They need medical attention," he spoke. "Two of you should go with them back to Forlorn Hope." Not wanting to argue with an ex-First Recon, they did as Boone said. He then looked over at Jovie, who stared at the house the leader was in. "You know... it could be a trap."

"I know," she nodded. "But... 'Dead'..."

He titled his head. "'Dead'?"

She started toward the house, but he grabbed onto her wrist. "Jove, listen to me. We have to be careful about this. Going in there is even more dangerous than fighting out here."

"Believe me, I know," she agreed. "But, Boone... there's something... I need answers to."

He shook his head. "Did you remember something?"

"You can say that, sure," she answered. "If you're not going with me-"

"Oh, I'm coming, all right," Boone interrupted, pulling out his pistol. Sniper rifle had no business in close-quarters combat. "But I'll open the door."

They made their way to the house, and Boone held up three fingers, then two, then one. He flung open the door, two Legionnaires instantly opening fire, making Boone and Jovie pull back until they had unloaded their clips. Jovie was the first to move, shooting one then the other, and before Boone could even stop her, she ran into the house to the commander, who had his machete at the ready... then dropped it. She grabbed his by the front of his armor and slammed him against the wall before throwing him to the ground, pointing at the machete.

"PICK IT UP!" she screamed. Boone by now had entered the house, his pistol pointed at the Decanus that was on his hands and knees on the floor. Jovie... something was wrong. When the Decanus did nothing, she kicked his torso as hard as she could, making him cough. "PICK. IT. UP."

"Hey!" Boone called out to her. "What are you doing? Just kill him and be done with it!"

The glare she gave him... and he holstered his gun. She reached over, grabbed a chair, and sat it in the middle of the room before picking the Decanus up by pulling him up by the back of his armor and tossing him onto the chair with such a force, it nearly knocked over. What Boone was seeing was pure rage. There was no getting to her. She then reached down and picked up his machete, running her thumb down the sharp blade without cutting herself, eyeing it with... familiarity?

"You don't remember me, do you?" No reply, and with this, in one, swift movement, she pierced the machete through the decanus' foot, making him scream. She grabbed hold of his mask and made the goggles line up with her eyes. "LOOK AT ME NOW AND TELL ME YOU DON'T REMEMBER!"

A sinister laugh came from the decanus' throat. "What made you remember me?"

"I killed one of your men before he could get your name out, but I know... I heard 'Dead', and that's all it took," she answered darkly. She then pulled the machete out of his foot, eliciting a grunt from him. "What's my name... Dead Sea?"

Boone's breath hitched in his lungs as he stepped forward. "I think I know what's going on here. And it ends now."

Dead Sea let out a pained laugh, his head rolling slightly. "Jovie, right? I can hear that disgusting ghoul's voice crying it out over and over as he tried to save you."

Jovie punched him, hard, knocking his head to the right. He hissed from the contact then spit out a tooth and some blood. "He _did_ save me, but not without you hurting him." She walked around him, wiping the blood on the machete on his armor. "How many has it been, Dead Sea? How many was it that couldn't be saved?"

Carla entered Boone's mind, but he shook the thought away. Jovie needed him now.

Dead Sea said nothing, this time, Jovie piercing the machete through his shoulder from behind him, another yell filling the air. She pulled out the blade then threw it to the ground, withdrawing her own knife, as she walked in front of him and straddled him, putting her arms around his neck, making sure he felt the blade move back and forth on his neck.

"What's the matter, Dead Sea? You almost had me then. Can't finish the job now?" She looked down at his crotch and laughed. "I guess it would be a little difficult to get it up in these conditions. I'm the alpha now... right?"

At this, Dead Sea grit his teeth, and his fist collided against Jovie's cheek, knocking her off his lap, as he jumped up. Boone unholstered his pistol and pointed it at Dead Sea.

"Sit down!" he ordered. Dead Sea didn't move. "NOW!"

"No, no. It's fine," Jovie assured, getting up and waving off Boone's demand as Dead Sea sat back down on the chair. "This is what I wanted." She then looked at Dead Sea, ignoring her bloody nose and lip. "What _you_ wanted. Right? A better fight? A challenge?" She took her knife and placed it on his wounded shoulder. "Although~ someone has lost a lot more blood than I have. I don't think it would be fair. Not that it mattered to you back then, did it? I was dying, and you just had to try." She then leaned down to his ear. "But what you didn't know, big boy, is that I survived death once. And that I will fight for every second I've got left."

Dead Sea turned his head toward her. "A collar would look beautiful on you, Jovie. I'll make sure Caesar has one specially made just for you."

"A collar, you say?" Jovie hummed. She exited the room for a moment then returned, a collar and a small box in her hand. Front behind, she put the collar around Dead Sea's neck and fastened it. "You mean one like these?"

Dead Sea's body squirmed. "Where-"

"What, you think we haven't found some of your friends escorting people to your Caesar with these on their necks?" Jovie asked, twirling the device between her fingers. "Tell you what, Dead Sea. Or can I call you 'Deaddy'?" No answer. "Aww, what's the matter? Don't like that one very much?"

"Jove..." Boone whispered. This wasn't Jovie... not his Jovie.

"You bitch... I'll make sure Caesar makes you burn."

Jovie sighed, no longer twirling the device. "Have it your way."

She pressed the button, but nothing happened. Dead Sea had closed his eyes, but opened them when he felt his mask being pulled off his head. Jovie grinned as she showed him the device. "It doesn't work. I made sure to destroy it when we saved those people." She threw it at him, the device colliding with his chest. "One last question, and you're free to go."

Dead Sea, the brown-haired, blue-eyed decanus, sat there in disbelief and embarrassment. "You're going to let me go?"

"If you answer my question." She watched him nod. "I had a dress with me. I went back to that place and couldn't find it, which tells me you lot probably took it for God knows what reasons." She crossed her arms. "Where is it?"

"In that cabinet, by the bathroom."

Jovie uncrossed her arms and headed toward the cabinet. "You'd better not be lying~" she warned in a sing-song voice. She opened it and smiled. "Huhn. Well, I'll be damned. You're not. Guess you are just snakes ninety-nine percent of the time, huh?" she said as she made her way in front of Dead Sea, putting the dress in her backpack.

"So, I'm free to go?"

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, turning around and idly tossing a hand in the air. "Just so you know, you pissed yourself."

She made it out the door, and Dead Sea let out a sigh of relief. "She's crazy."

"No," Boone denied, pointing his pistol again at Dead Sea. "She just knows me all too well."

Jovie heard the gunshot... and smiled.

Then cried.

Boone walked out of the home and joined Jovie's side. The NCR soldiers had went in the other homes and found what little remained of the Legionnaire army stationed in Nelson. Taking them as POWs, they were now heading back to Nelson to radio in to the other stations of their victory and to send backup to Nelson to ensure it remained in NCR's hands. Boone put his arm around Jovie's shoulders and sat her down on the stairs with him, where she leaned her head on his shoulder, wiping her tears away... or trying to. Dead Sea's blood was on her hands, which smeared on her face. Boone tore some of his clothing and gently reached forward, wiping the blood from her broken nose and busted lip as tenderly as he could. When it was gone, he discarded the cloth and just sat there, her head on his shoulder as she finished crying.

"Jove," he quietly addressed, "...why didn't you tell me?"

"Nothing happened."

"No, but it almost did." He sighed. "I'm just glad Raul saved you."

Jovie nodded against his shoulder. Then, "Boone? You've started calling me 'Jove'. You know that?"

Boone looked outward then shrugged. "Guess I have. Don't like it?"

She smiled. "No, it's fine. You're the only one who does. I like it." She then put her hand on his knee. "Sorry you... had to see me like that. I just... I knew." Boone said nothing. "I couldn't let him get away with it. Not just because of me... but because of the others, too. The ones he did..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"I'm still me."

"Yeah," Boone nodded, placing his hand on top of hers. "You're still you." He looked at the crucifixes, then their hands. "...Thanks, by the way."

"Huh? For what?" She followed his gaze to the crucifixes. "Oh. For that. Well, I mean... when I first found Nipton, they had that lottery, remember? I couldn't save them... they were so close to death. But I saw them, and I knew they could be saved. I had to try."

Boone nodded. "As NCR soldiers, we're told what to do, when, how, and all that. Most of the time, when we'd see things like this, we'd be ordered to 'mercy kill'."

"Oh my god..."

He couldn't take his eyes off the crucifixes. "When Carla was taken, I tracked them down. With the training I'd had, I just..." He took in a breath. "I looked through my scope and saw her. I saw they were going to take her to the Cove, and I knew once she was put on that boat, what awaited her was worse than death. So I... took the shot."

Jovie closed her eyes, feeling hollow. "Boone... I'm so sorry."

Boone shook his head. "Yeah, well. What other option did I have? I couldn't go into the Cove alone. And if I let them take her, had my child been born, what would've become of him or her? A slave? Indoctrinated into one of them? Killed? No. I did what had to be done." He tightened his hold on her hand. "I'm not justifying myself. What I did was unforgivable, and I deserve whatever bad is coming to me. Which is why we should part ways."

At this, Jovie jumped up and looked down at Boone, deeply confused. "Excuse me?"

Boone stood up. "I've got worse coming to me, Jove. The things I've done... I've not even began to atone. Losing Carla and the baby was only the beginning."

"What makes you say that? That more bad things are coming to you?" Jovie asked. "Boone... that makes no sense."

His eyes focused hard on hers, intense. "Because fair is fair."

She finally understood. "You're talking about Bitter Springs... aren't you?" No reply. "I think it's time we go back."

"No."

"Boone, listen to me," she ordered, reaching and taking hold of his hand to stop him from walking away. "Whatever questions you have, whatever doubts linger in your mind-"

"There are no doubts. Just sins I can't wash away."

This time, it was her eyes that were intense. "Then take me. Help me to understand." She stepped toward him, his hand still in hers. "I can't help you unless you help me."

He slid his hand from her grasp. "I don't need your help. What I do need is for you to drop it. Understand?"

The pain in her eyes pierced his soul so hard, it nearly shattered what little of it was left. "Sure... I understand."

"Good," he nodded. "Now, let's get back to Nelson. I'm sure they'll want to thank you for all you've done."

He started toward Nelson, and she followed quietly behind. He had helped her with Dead Sea, and promised to be there for her with Benny. He even trusted her enough to talk about Carla and his unborn child. But what was it about Bitter Springs that he just couldn't face? They had crossed a huge gap together, finally beginning to understand one another. At least, for a time. But now, the gap was bigger than ever.


	4. Chapter 4

_*I know so far, this isn't getting much attention, but that's okay. I'm enjoying writing it. If I had to give a theme for Jovie, it would be "Luna" from Final Fantasy XV OST. I'm not sure about Boone or the others. Just throwing that out there. Also, in case you're wondering why this is rated M, it's for violence, language, and sexual content/mature themes. I don't use the F-word, and I dislike GD, so you won't see those here.*_

Veronica squealed in utter delight as Jovie placed the dress in her hands. She placed it against her body and twirled around, admiring how flowy it was, her smile outshining the moment itself.

"I can't believe this!" she giggled, staring at the dress. "Jovie... thank you!"

Arcade gave Veronica a playful nudge with his elbow. "Why not show it off around the strip? May even get you a date with a lovely lady."

Veronica blushed. "I don't know about that. It's been a long time, and in a way, I still hurt after..." she stopped, then looked at Arcade. "You know what? You're right! I can't keep looking back. Not to mention I think I'll rock it in this dress."

"No doubt," Jovie grinned. "Now, go get changed and get out there. Have some fun!" She then snapped her fingers. "No, ya know what? Everyone go out. Arcade, I'm sure Julie and Beatrix miss you. Why not pay them a visit? Let's just all take a reprieve."

"Sounds great," Cass nodded. "I'm gonna hit the Atomic Wrangler."

"I stay here," Lily loudly claimed. "People don't like me."

"Lily, you're fine. But maybe you want to go to Jacobstown and visit everyone?" Jovie suggested.

Lily nodded. "You're right, Jovie. Now that I've got my head on straight, I think I can make it there just fine."

Once Veronica had changed into her dress, everyone piled into the elevator but Jovie and Boone, but he was in the bath. Maybe once he was out, she could get him to go somewhere as well.

"What about you?" Raul asked.

"I just want to relax for a while," Jovie sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm tense all over."

"Don't blame you," Raul agreed. "Get some rest, eh, senorita?"

The doors closed, and then quiescence filled the room. She stared at the elevator doors for a moment, then sighed as she went into her bedroom. Boone walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a black suit, tie in hand. Shortly after, Jovie walked out of the bedroom in a white dress, her back to Boone.

"Zip me, will you?"

He did as she asked, and when she turned around, she took the tie out of his hand and reached around his neck, placing it under the collar of the white button-up shirt, then starting to tie it.

"They didn't teach us this," Boone joked dryly.

"So I see," Jovie simply stated, finishing the tie. She smoothed it out and took a step back. For a moment, just a moment, it hit Boone she had changed. It wasn't just the dress, either. Her hair was finally getting longer- past her chin and straight. She had battle scars here and there, but she was...

"You look nice," Boone shyly complimented.

"Are you ready to do this?" she asked, ignoring Boone's compliment. "We're going in there empty-handed."

Boone nodded. "Are you?"

Jovie reached for a brush and ran it through her brown hair one last time. "Just let me do the talking, yeah?"

"If he touches you-"

"I'll handle it," she interrupted. "You're just there to make sure things don't get out of hand. That's all. Got it?"

Boone pursed his lips together. Ever since Nelson, she had been distant and cold towards him. Not that he could blame her, but still... it wasn't Jovie. The Jovie he knew was bubbly and charismatic, talkative and spontaneous. She kept him at arm's length now.

She placed the brush down on top of a small table.

"Jove, look..." Boone started, his voice quiet. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Changed your mind?" she questioned monotonously.

Boone took off his beret and placed it beside the brush. He even took his sunglasses off and did the same. Less suspicious, the better. He couldn't even recall the last time he wore a suit.

"Just listen to me, dammit," he sighed, grabbing her by her shoulders and making her face him. "What I said back at Nelson... I was out of line, and I'm sorry." Her eyes softened, and he could feel her body's tension release. "I still believe bad things are coming my way, but... I just need time. I'm not going anywhere or going to do anything reckless, you have my word on that."

Jovie's eyes focused hard on his then softened again. "I believe you. For now."

"Fair enough." The statement hurt, but he deserved it. After everything she'd done for him, back at Nelson, he'd been so callous towards her. Quite some time had passed since then, and he had dealt with her bitterness for a while. He had to fix what he could.

She finally gave him a smile and stood on her tiptoes, rubbing his bald head. "I can see my reflection!"

"I shave it, thank you very much," Boone muttered. "Last time I had hair, I was seventeen, getting ready to join the NCR." He reached and took a strand of her hair between his index finger and thumb. "Speaking of hair... yours is growing out."

"Finally," she exhaled dramatically. She then nudged his shoulder. "Let's go."

The Tops wasn't hard to find. Back in his NCR days, Boone would go there with his buddies when they had leave and before he met Carla, but he wouldn't play the slots or gamble. He was never lucky enough for that. The moment they stepped inside, they were told to hand over any weapons they had. Jovie assured them they had none. They didn't pat her down since she was wearing a dress, but they checked Boone over, giving him the "OK" to go. Boone kept his eyes on Jovie. She wasn't shaking, but he could feel her apprehension. They walked on in, seeing other gamblers and bouncers here and there-

She sped up slightly, and that's when he knew. Following closely behind, he could see a man in a white suit with his back turned to them, bodyguards surrounding him. One of the bodyguards motioned his head behind Benny, who turned around and immediately lost all color to him, his eyes widening. He muttered a curse under his breath, his eyes on Jovie.

"You're supposed to be dead."

Jovie put a hand on her hip. "I got better."

Benny glanced at Boone then looked back to Jovie, swallowing dryly. "Well, h-hey, that's good news for me. I can rest easy now knowing you're all right."

"'Rest easy'?" Jovie nearly hissed.

Benny reached up to the collar of his shirt and pulled on it. "Look, doll, this ain't the kind of scene to be havin' out here in the open. How about we go upstairs to my room, and we can hash it all out. Cool as a cat."

Jovie eyed the bodyguards. "Lose the muscle, and I'll go."

One of the guards stepped forward, making Boone do the same- Benny held up a hand, stopping the both of them. "If that's what it takes, then fine."

"And my friend. He comes, too," Jovie continued bartering. "I'm not about to go into a room alone with you."

"Fair enough," Benny nodded. "Let's go."

The bodyguards stepped back, letting Benny walk by towards the elevator. Jovie and Boone followed, but Benny closed the elevator on them before they could enter. Boone grabbed onto Jovie's wrist.

"This could all be a trap, Jove," he whispered as Jovie called for the elevator with her other hand.

"I'm well aware."

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside, Boone still holding onto Jovie's wrist as the doors closed. They felt the elevator rising, and Jovie looked at Boone's hand that was on her wrist. She moved her wrist, making him let go.

"Relax."

"I don't trust him."

"Neither do I."

"Jove."

The elevator stopped, the doors opening. Jovie stepped out, Boone trailing. There were so many bouncers... and they showed them which room was Benny's. It was so odd to him. A big shot like Benny, and the casino workers were just letting two strangers in like it was nothing? Jovie opened the doors to his room, Boone shutting them behind them. Benny was sitting at the snack bar, sipping on a shot of whiskey, as casual as can be. They drew closer to him, and he sat down the glass, the ice clinking against each other.

"Baby, I can't tell you how glad I am you're alive," he began, looking up at her. The way he called her "baby" and "doll" made Boone's blood boil. He'd put this woman through hell. He had no right... "Tell me. How did you survive?"

"A robot dug me up, and Doc Mitchell did the rest," she effortlessly replied. "Looks to me you've gotta work on your shot, Benny."

"Nah, baby, that bullet would've killed anyone," Benny rejected. "How you survived... it ain't nothin' short of a miracle."

Jovie leaned over, placing her elbows on the countertop, linking her hands as she stared Benny down. "Do you have any idea what I've lost? Memories... gone. All because of a stupid poker chip." She reached and took the shot glass, downing the whiskey. "Speaking of which... where is it?"

Benny took the shot glass from her and filled it again. "I got it, doll, don't you worry."

Jovie grinned. "I see. Hand it over, Ben."

Benny chuckled. "Baby, you don't realize what this chip means, do you? Everyone wants it. NCR, Caesar, the Four Families, House-"

"Cut the shit," Jovie interrupted. "I was nearly killed over it. I deserve to at least look at it."

Benny reached in his pants pocket and pulled out the chip, flipping it to her. She caught it, holding it in the palm of her hand.

"Platinum all the way. Apparently, it's got the lowdown on Vegas and so much more," Benny told her as she examined it. "Don't ya see, baby? You were just a cat caught in a fence of dogs. I had orders to get it from you, so I did."

Jovie clenched her teeth. "You didn't have to shoot me."

"Doll, at the time, I had no choice, you gotta believe me."

"I don't."

Benny's eyes scanned her over, and he smirked. "I didn't harm you none. Lookin' as cool as a cat."

Boone's fists balled, but Jovie acted first, slapping Benny's face hard. Benny rubbed his stinging skin as Jovie glared at him.

"I lost my memories. I had to learn how to do everything all over again- walk, talk, eat... I have headaches all the time, my hair is just now growing back, and you say you didn't harm me?"

Benny shook his head. "Guess that wasn't the right time to try that, huh?" He took a drink of his whiskey. "Look, if you'll just listen to me, you and I can get out of this without anyone getting' hurt again."

Jovie leaned up, her face inquisitive. "If you're suggesting we work together-"

"Of course I am," Benny nodded. "Everyone wants this piece of land... this New Vegas. We play our cards right, and it can be ours."

"Screw New Vegas for a bit and answer some questions of mine," Jovie ordered. Benny was quiet, allowing for questions. "When you shot me-"

"I felt horrible," he answered before she even finished her question. "I didn't even know your name, and yet, here I was, puttin' a bullet in ya. It wasn't right, and I've felt bad ever since."

"And now that you see me here, alive... what do you think about that?"

Benny shifted in his seat. "I know you're pissed, darlin', and I would be, too. But I see potential between us."

Jovie raised an eyebrow. "Potential?"

"For New Vegas."

"Right," she chuckled to herself. "Here's what's going to happen, Benny." She leaned forward again, showing him the chip. "This is mine now. I'm taking it with me."

"Take it easy, doll. I'll have you killed before you leave the room," Benny warned. "I have to have that chip. It's the ace in the hole."

Jovie ignored his words as she walked behind him, her other hand skimming along from his right shoulder, across his back, and to his left shoulder. "And you... you are going to do something for me."

"Yeah? And what would that be?"

"Just a little experiment. That's all."

Benny seemed just as confused as Boone was. "Experiment?"

"Mm-hm. See, I was an anomaly. The chance of me surviving a point-blank gunshot to the head was five percent." She hiked up the right side of her dress to reveal a silenced pistol strapped to her leg. Boone couldn't believe it. She'd held out. She pointed it at Benny's head. "Are you the five percent?"

Before Benny could react, she had pulled the trigger, and his body slumped off the bar stool and onto the ground. Boone bit his lip. He knew she was bitter, but... She walked to him and shrugged, putting away her pistol. "Eh, doesn't look like it." She then looked at Boone and flipped him the Platinum Chip. "Hang onto that, okay? I'm sure we'll need it later for something." He watched her as she searched Benny's clothes and body for clues on anything. She found a pistol on him, pulled it out of its holster, and eyed it with awe. "Nice gun. 'Maria', huh? Wonder who that was." She handed it to Boone. "Hide it in your jacket pocket."

"Jove-"

"Son of a bitch," she laughed. "Caesar had his eyes on him." She pulled out a note, but Boone didn't read it. "Coward from the start, you stupid bastard." She rose up. "Let's go."

"Jove, we can't just walk out of here. Silencers still make sound. They'll know something happened."

Jovie took hold of Boone's hand. "Hit me."

Instantly, he reeled back. "What the hell?"

"I'll say he attacked me, and I did what I had to to stop him. I took his weapon from him and shot him."

"A 9mm is different than a .22, Jove."

"Just do it, Boone! Jesus freaking Christ!" she nearly yelled, throwing his hand back. "Better yet, here!" She pulled out her pistol and handed it to him. "Pistol-whip me."

He looked at it and hesitantly took it into his hands. "Jove..."

"We don't have all day."

He gritted his teeth and hit her across the face with the .22 silencer. She cried out, reeling to the side and she covered the cut on her face with her hands.

"Jove, Christ... I'm-"

"Thank you," she sighed, letting go of her bleeding cheek and taking the pistol from him, putting it back in its holster. "Let's get out of here."

Somehow, no one asked questions until they were ready to leave. Jovie told them her improvisation of the story, and the bouncers seemed shocked. Boone kept silent, as usual, still feeling like shit for striking Jovie. She'd been through so much already. The bouncers said they would look into the matter and let them go.

Outside The Tops, they were greeted by a man in a suit and sunglasses practically as soon as they stepped out.

"You have the Chip, I see," he spoke. Jovie recognized that voice.

"Vulpes?" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Just know that your sins you have dealt with upon Caesar have been purged, and you are invited to speak with him personally, with the Chip, and the Cove," Vulpes informed. He turned to leave-

"Just a damn second," Boone called out to him, grabbing his shoulder. "You just waltz here in New Vegas to tell us this, then leave? You're not going anywhere."

Vulpes turned his attention to Jovie. "Tell your friend he should choose his battles wisely."

Jovie reached and took Boone's hand off Vulpes' shoulder. "Boone..."

With reluctance, Boone let go of Vulpes, who continued to walk away. They watched him as he left the Strip, Boone not believing he didn't kill him there. He shook the thought off, giving his attention to Jovie.

"Hey," he softly said. Her eyes met his, and he gently touched her wounded cheek. "Let's go back to Lucky 38 and get this fixed. Okay?"

 **XXXXXX**

It was a small cut, and luckily, it wouldn't scar. But her cheek was bruised, and surely the inside of her mouth had been cut because of her teeth. He felt guilty as they were in silence. None of the others had made it back yet, and he was sort of glad for that. To break the silence, he turned on the radio, Mr. New Vegas' voice chiming into the room. He put a bandage on the cut then sat down beside her. They were both still in their outfits they had worn to The Tops, except they had taken out the weapons and sat them on a table.

"Jove," he whispered, "you okay?"

"I killed him, Boone."

"I know."

She but her head in her hands, bending over and rocking slightly. "I wanted to do it, but I... Now that I have... was it right?"

"Do you feel like it is?"

She thought back to when she took Jeannie May out in front of the dinosaur, how quickly Boone had killed her. Everything had been taken from him, just like everything had been taken from her.

"I want to say yes, but I... What if... Boone, what if he knew about my parents, if I have any? Or who I really was?"

Boone shook his head. "He told you himself that you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

She was still so conflicted, and he heard "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" start to play. Boone wasn't a dancer by any means, but he stood up and held his hand down to her. She lifted her face, tear streaks on her cheeks, off her hands and looked at his hand. Wordlessly, she took it, and he pulled her close to him. All they did was move slowly in place, one of his hands on the small of her back, the other in her hand. Her arm was around his broad shoulders, her head leaned onto his chest as they danced. Boone thought about everything... everything about Jovie. She was strong, but she was also so broken. Yet, she smiled. She thought of others. The dress for Veronica, letting everyone go out and enjoy themselves while they did this one dangerous thing... There wasn't another like her. From fighting deathclaws, to helping addicts in the slums... one second, she could be as gentle as a brahmin, and the next as deadly as a radscorpion. She amazed him, as well as... as well as scared him. What did all this mean for him?

"I'm not leaving," he whispered in her ear.

"You said that already."

"I'm ready."

She looked up at him, their bodies still swaying to the song that was nearing its end. "To do what?"

"Come with me. To Bitter Springs."

She noticed their lips were so close... and she wasn't going to fight it. "You sure?" He nodded. "Okay."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

So close...

The elevator dinged, and they could hear Victor's voice, as well as the others as they piled into the suite. They pulled away from each other, Jovie blushing deeply.

"Guess who got laid?! I did!" Veronica cheered for herself as she staggered into the room. She noticed how close the two were, and she gasped. "O-Oh, I am so... Ohh. Ooohhh. I was interruptin' somethin', wasn't I?"

"Congrats on getting laid, Ronnie," Jovie laughed, Veronica's drunkenness a sight to behold. They were used to seeing Cass drunk, but Veronica? No.

Arcade came into the room and took Veronica by her arm. "Sorry. I'll get her out of your hair."

"She's fine. I was just getting ready for bed," Jovie lied. Arcade led Veronica out of the room, and Jovie headed for her bedroom. Before she left, she stopped and looked at Boone with a smile.

"Boone?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks. For the dance."

She left...

Aaand that's when Arcade entered.

"Dance?"

"Shove it, Arcade."


	5. Chapter 5

They sat on top of that small mound, no firepit, no warm mean... just the two of them in the cold darkness of the desert night. She hugged her legs closely to her chest, the coldness getting to her, and she could feel herself getting sleepy...

" _They weren't seeing what we were seeing... they just told us to shoot, so that's what we did."_

Her eyelids fluttered as she sleepily glanced over at Boone.

" _Even...?"_

" _Even."_

" _You did what you had to do as a soldier," she had told him. The look on his face was one she didn't expect from him. It was relief. "You didn't want to. I know you didn't. But if you go against protocol, that's treason and grounds for execution- you knew this, Boone." She drew lines in the sand. "I can't really say I understand since I wasn't there, but... if this is eating at you after all this time, that means something."_

Boone took a peek back at Jovie to see that she had closed her eyes. He didn't know why he had chosen to stay. Hell, he didn't truly want to be here to begin with. But he had wanted to go... with her. He had never even told Carla of what had happened here, but here he was with Jovie, guns in hand. He started to stand up to cover her up with a blanket when he saw it. His blood congealed. No. Not tonight. Not here... Not again.

He grabbed Jovie by her shoulders and shook her. "Jove! Jove, wake up!"

"Huh? What is it?" she sleepily asked, rubbing her eye.

"Legion, and they're in numbers."

"Oh, shit," she gasped, jumping up and fully awake now. "Here? Why?"

"They must have intel that we just got this place back on its feet, but it's still struggling," Boone replied, loading his sniper rifle. "Huhn, kind of a funny thing. I come out here just to think, and here they are."

"Coming right to us," Jovie grinned, handling Maria. "Saves us time looking for them."

Boone shrugged. "I don't know about that. But I knew... I knew the day I met you, it was destiny. I had to go with you, and this is where it led me." He put his hand on her shoulder. "We may not make it, Jove."

Jovie nodded. "I'm aware. Even so, we have to try as hard as we can to protect the refugees. We're not the only fighters here."

Boone smirked. "Give 'em hell?"

Jovie pulled back the hammer on Maria. "Like always."

Jovie ran up the hill, past the graves of the people who died during the massacre years ago. Boone basically climbed up the side of the hill to position himself so he could have clear shots. He saw the Legionnaires making their way into the camp, and immediately, Jovie executed one without a problem. Then, she ducked behind a rock, a bullet ricocheting. Boone looked down his sights and popped two as though they were nothing. He checked down to see Jovie running out of cover and taking an injured child in her arms, bullets flying by her. He looked down his sights again and saw two or three Legionnaires with Brush guns. One of the NCR soldiers killed one while Boone killed the other. Jovie handed the child to his mother and turned around just in time to kill a Legion mongrel, but there were more. One bit down hard on her arm, the other on her waist, tackling her to the ground. She grunted, fighting the two off, until she took Maria in her other hand, which was not her dominant hand, and prayed that she could kill it. A blast, and it slumped off her arm, dead. She pushed the other mongrel off, and she could hear the pops on the hill as Boone continued to take down Legionnaires.

"Jovie!" she heard Captain Giles call out to her. A shot, and the mongrel was dead. Jovie put her hand on her waist, wincing slightly. More shots, but from where?

"Oof!" an NCR trooper grunted as he was hit with the butt of a brush gun. They heard it, behind one of the makeshift homes. Jovie and Giles ran to see a Legionnaire, and at once, Jovie took him out. Giles tended to the trooper as Jovie ran throughout the camp, still hearing the pops from Boone's gun.

Boone looked through his scope to the left to see more making a flank attack from the gravesite. He inched slightly, moving enough to where-

"Found you, you bastard."

In just enough time, he turned over, using his sniper rifle to block a machete from piercing his chest. He grunted, the Legionnaire no doubtedly stronger than he was.

"I was wondering when this wretched place got a First Recon dick on their side," the man spoke. "But I know you. You're washed out by now."

Boone grunted and moved his feet to one of the man's feet, twisting him over, both of them falling down the hill. And she had seen it.

In a daze, Boone shook his head, standing to his feet. The legionnaire also was up by now and ready, dagger in hand in stead of his machete, which he had dropped on the fall. Boone had lost his rifle as well and went to pull out his pistol, but the man advanced, making Boone jump back. Relentless. He ducked, moved, would use his arms to block attacks meant for vital areas.

"Good thing about First Recon. Useless as shit in hand to hand combat," the legionnaire mocked. He lunged forward, and Boone knocked the dagger away with his wrist then grabbed the man's wrist with both hands. In one swift motion, he snapped the wrist, the man screaming in pain. As he reeled back, Boone pulled out his pistol and capped him in his skull.

"Boone!" he heard Jovie calling out to him. She dodged a bullet, but a Legionnaire went to attack her. She tried to evade the pistol-whip, but she couldn't, and her body slumped to the ground.

"JOVE!" He couldn't believe the scream that came from him. He pointed his pistol at the Legionnaire and shot. The rest who were charging, Boone just fired, mercilessly, while Giles and the other soldiers helped along. But Boone... the look in his eyes.

"My God..." Giles breathed, taking out a Legionnaire. "Look at his eyes... It's as though he's back here those many years ago..."

A scream from the camp... some had snuck through. Boone ran past Giles, knowing she and the others could handle themselves. Three, four were there, three hiding behind makeshift homes, the other holding a hostage... the little girl who had been shot in the leg who Jovie saved. Boone eyed them down, looking for any kind of opening...

Back around the other side of the hill, Jovie was coming to, her head killing her. Giles was shaking her awake, and when her vision focused instead of seeing double, she finally looked her in the eyes.

"Good, you're with me. Get up!"

Jovie jumped up, Maria in hand, staggering slightly. But she realized something... the Legionnaires were dead. But Giles was peering around the hill, pistol in hand. She whipped back around and looked at Jovie.

"What do we do?"

"What? What's going on?"

"Boone is in a hostage negotiation," Giles informed, looking back around the hill. Three Legionnaires have him in his sights behind houses, while there is one who has the girl you rescued in his hands, gun to her head."

"Son of a bitch..." Jovie gasped. "Lemme see." They switched places, and Jovie peered around the hill, seeing just as Giles described. She bit her lip, banging her head slightly on the hill.

"Trade," she heard Boone speak. This made her look around again, mouth agape.

The man with the girl held her tighter. "Exchange?"

"Me," Boone replied. "For her."

The man moved the gun slightly away from the girl's temple. "What would Caesar want with you?"

Boone smirked. "Trust me. He'd rather crucify me himself than have one of you fleas do it."

"Wait... holy shit. Tillanius... that's Craig Boone," one of them spoke.

Tillanius lowered the gun slightly. "No shitting?"

"The one and only," Boone nodded. "Let her go, and I'll go."

"Dammit..." Jovie gritted her teeth. "Giles, I need you and your men to back us up."

"Wait, what?" Giles asked as Jovie handed her Maria and started to move from behind the hill. "Jovie!"

"He's not the only one!" Jovie called out, her hands in the air. The three behind the homes pointed their guns at her-

"Do not shoot!" Tillanius ordered.

Jovie made her way beside Boone, her arms still in the air to signify no harm or weapon. Boone bit his lip so hard, it bled.

"Jove, what the hell are you doing?" he growled.

"I have the Platinum Chip," Jovie continued. She reached in her pocket slowly and pulled out the Chip, showing it to them. "I think this is something your Caesar wants? So how about instead of giving him a little salad, we give him dressing and all?" She laughed, but the Legionnaires didn't move. "Aww, come on. That was funny."

"You are not to come as a prisoner, Jovie, but of your own volition."

Jovie nodded. "I got that part. But that's not going to happen. Thing is, I hate the lot of you. Every. Last. One. The only way you're going to get this chip is if you take me in as a prisoner. Got it?"

"Very well."

"Jove!" Boone gasped.

Jovie took a step toward Tillanius, her arms to her sides, walking slowly. "All I'm going to do now is take the girl. That's it. I'll come back, I promise."

"Jove, stop it..." Boone pathetically begged.

Tillanius pointed his gun at her. "Think I believe that?"

"I'm no liar," Jovie assured. "Look, see? I have no weapon. You're stronger than me, so there's no way I'm going to try to fight you."

Tillanius remained at ready. "One false move..."

Boone saw NCR soldiers sneak up to the three Legionnaires behind the houses and snap their necks, but with Jovie and Tillanius talking , it was silenced.

"Trust me."

Tillanius handed the girl to Jovie, who picked her up in her arms since her leg was wounded. She started walking around the hill, and Tillanius noticed Boone had raised his gun. He glanced at the three dead Legionnaires, NCR soldiers taking their places.

"Wh-"

"Oh, yeah," Jovie spoke, still walking away, "I lied."

She heard Boone fire the shot then Tillanius' body slump over. Then, another body falling to the ground. She turned around quickly to see Boone-

"What?" she breathed. With the girl still in her arms, she ran to Boone, not seeing any blood other than what was dealt with by the attacker on the hill. Lieutenant Markland made his way over and gave him a quick look-over.

"I can't tell until I get him into the tent. Let's go."

 **XXXXXX**

" _You never could stop playing the hero... could you?"_

 _He opened his eyes and looked around to see pure white, so bright it made his eyes hurt._

" _That's okay, though. It's what makes you... you."_

 _He turned around and stifled a gasp, his eyes hardly able to take it in. There she stood, long blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and the clothes he last saw her in. It was a dress. A simple, light blue dress, with white heels that she easily maneuvered in. The red lipstick that accentuated her so beautifully, the way her skin was flawless... What was this? A dream? Was it real? Had he...?_

" _I was wondering when I would get to talk to you," she spoke, clasping her hands behind her back and taking several steps. "You're a very hard person to track down."_

" _But I've been here." He did gasp this time and covered his mouth. He sounded... younger. Around the time they had first met._

 _She smiled and turned to him. "You know... we were kinda young when we first met. Remember? It was before they even shaved your hair when you joined the NCR."_

 _Boone reached up and felt hair on the top of his head. He shook his head and stepped toward her. "Carla-"_

" _I had fun," she interrupted. She then unclasped her hands, and her eyes changed from happiness and filled with a sort of emptiness. "I didn't want to go to Novac, Craig."_

" _I know that," he nodded, his voice desperate. "I didn't know where else to go... Living in New Vegas was too expensive at the time and-"_

" _But you know," she cut him off again, her voice wavering, "I was happy there."_

 _This caught him off guard. He noticed the light around her was turning blue- the color of her crystalline eyes. "Y-You were?"_

 _She nodded. "I was just different, that's all. I had grown up around Vegas and I guess... I guess I let it show. Then you came around, and I wanted to see what the outside world was like." A tear fell. "I wanted more time... Just one more time... to see it with you. I wanted to have the baby with you, and I wanted to be a family..." she was crying harder now, and the light was growing brighter. Boone tried to move to her, but it was as though he was transfixed to his spot. "I'm not angry with you. God, Craig, please, you have to let me go. You did what had to be done, and we understand that. We just want you happy."_

 _At this, Boone couldn't hold back his tears any longer. "No!" he shouted. "It's not right... I wanted more time, too! I wanted a family with you. What would our child have looked like... what would he or she have done? What kind of dad would I have been? I wanted that all with you!"_

 _Carla closed her eyes briefly and opened them. Then, he noticed the blue started changing to green... the forest green eyes he was so familiar with now. Her eyes started to change to that color, and her hair started to turn dark brown as well, and she smiled._

" _You have a chance, if you'll let yourself."_

 _He held his hand out to her. "No... she's not you."_

" _She's not," Carla nodded, her eyes and the light fully green, her hair completely dark brown now. "But she is there. She's gentle and... Craig... please. I'm doing this because you deserve love and happiness. There is still so much for you to do, and she can be there for it all." The light then turned to liquid and started to envelop Carla. She smiled and put a lock of hair behind her ear._

" _Wait!" Boone cried out, feeling helpless. "Carla!"_

" _Look for her when the light dies out," Carla whispered._

Boone bolted up in the cot, then winced, holding his head. He reached up and felt a bandage on the side of it, then scanned the area- they were still in Bitter Springs. His eyes stopped when he saw a sleeping Jovie in a rather uncomfortable chair next to his got, her knees drawn up to her chest. He noticed she was without a shirt, but her entire torso and arm was wrapped up in bandages. He looked down at his arms to see them wrapped up as well, and he wondered how long he had been out for.

"Ah, there we are," he heard Lieutenant Markland's voice in his right ear. From the other side of the privacy curtain, Markland came around and put his hands on his hips, a tired smile on his face. "You had a bit of a nasty concussion."

"Thought so," Boone muttered. Hearing his voice, Jovie woke up and sat right in her chair, leaning forward and taking Boone's hand into her own.

"Are you okay?"

"What? Yes," Boone groaned, taking his hand out of hers. He used it to rub his head tenderly. "Any casualties?"

"None, thanks to you two," Markland praised. "Good thing you came when you did. I don't think we could've held them off." He glanced behind him. "Well, Nora wants to stretch her leg. I'll come back to check on you in a few."

He walked away, and Boone looked at Jovie. "Nora?"

"The bullet broke her leg, but it'll heal," Jovie replied, her voice raspy. She was tired. She must have just fallen asleep. "I was so worried she was going to lose her leg, Boone..." She then leaned back in her chair. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Boone shrugged. "Can't believe I passed out like that."

"You pushed yourself too far," Jovie fussed, fidgeting with her bandages. "I saw you fall down that hill. Scared the hell out of me."

"Speaking of which, what the hell kind of game were you pulling?" Boone asked, hostility in his tone. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not taking any shit from you," she replied. "I was playing the same kind of cards you were dealing. We knew we had to save that girl. Legion wants us both, so we had a better shot. Only thing was, I actually had a plan other than suicide."

Boone looked away from her. "I told you. I wasn't expecting to survi-"

"Yeah, well? I was!" Jovie fumed. "You think your life is just something to throw around? That no one would care? That just because Carla is gone, you and Manny are at odds, and you think you have no one, that you can just go off and die?!"

"Jove, I'm not in the mood for this," Boone groaned. "Wanna give a lecture? Do it to the kids here. Wanna be useful? Do me a favor and just go away."

At his words, the look on her face was enough to make him wish he had never said them. She got up and walked out of the medical tent, and he heard a sniffle from her. For just a second, she was gone, then she came back and threw his backpack at him, her eyes red.

"Go home, Boone," she calmly ordered.

"Excuse me?"

"Go home," she repeated. She walked out, but he stood up, following after her, the backpack falling to the ground.

"Go home as in?"

"Novac."

"No."

"Boone, don't you get it?!" she fumed, turning and stopping at the same time. They didn't care if people were watching. "I'm done! I'm. Done. I can't... I've done everything in my power to help you, to be your friend. And every time I think we have a breakthrough, you do something to break me again." She continued walking, despite her side bleeding from the dog bites. She ignored Markland's calls for her to get back in the medical tent to rest. "I know you've had it hard, but I have too! That's why I wanted to try to stick together... to be like everyone else and be there for each other. And it worked! It worked with everyone except for you."

"I'm not like the others, Jove."

"Don't you think I know that?" she sighed, throwing her hands in the air. She smiled for a second. "That night... when we danced... it was..." Then she closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "What did you do it for?"

"Huh?"

"When you danced with me. Why?"

Boone shrugged. "You were sad."

She rolled her eyes. "For Christ's sake, Boone, gimme a break."

"I'm not joking around," he said. "You were sad, and that song came on, and I just... thought it would help."

She laughed then put her hands on her hips. "What am I supposed to do? Keep doing this? This battle-slash-alliance we've got going on?"

"It's more than an alliance."

"Shut up."

"It is."

"I said to shut up, Boone!" she yelled. He reeled back, shocked. Her eyes... if the fires of hell could exist in them, they would have been there. "There's no more of this. There's no more of talking, of trying to help... of anything." She started crying, and she put the palms of her hands on her eyes. "I didn't have to come out here, but I did. And look what it got me. Look at what it did to me!" She staggered slightly. "No more... no more..."

Boone stood there for a brief moment before deciding to speak, letting her cry. He could see every raw emotion she felt, and it was all because of him.

" _Look for her when the light dies out."_

"Jove. I'm going to speak now. Okay?" No response from Jovie, so he continued. "I don't think you realize what this has done to me. Coming here... facing my past, my sins... seeing the ghosts of those I killed... the children... it does something to a person." He took a step toward her. "You're right. You didn't have to come here with me. I was the one who asked you to, as a matter of fact." She was still crying. He had broken her... He had never seen her cry like this, not even when she was face-to-face with Dead Sea. "I am thankful you did." A sniffle, and she stopped crying. "I think... I think I know what I want to do now. After coming here. After traveling with you, watching what you do. I want to help people. Go around and give aid to whoever needs it. Like you." She lowered her hands, her cheeks wet with tears. He put his hands on her cheeks and dried them with his thumbs. "You have to understand... there are times where I'm not... 'me'. And I don't mean to be that way, but..." He moved closer to her. "I take it out on you, and I shouldn't. I'm sorry." He let go of her cheeks and put a hand on top of her head. "You have this way about you, Jove. I've never seen anything like it. You change people. You changed me. And I don't ever want you losing sight of that. Okay?"

"So... you're not leaving?"

"Not a chance in hell."

"You'll be nicer?"

"Try to be." He lowered his hand and placed it under her chin, tilting her head up. "I know it's a lot to ask, considering, but... please be patient with me."

"Okay," she nodded.

And before she realized what was to happen, she felt his lips on hers.


	6. Chapter 6

_*Okay. Fair warning._ _ **Sex is in this chapter.**_ _*_

"Think I'm doing the right thing?" Jovie asked, walking out of the dam building. Boone gave a single nod. They had been busy. Extremely busy. They had given the Chip to the NCR, got the Boomers, Powder Gangers, and the Great Khans on their side. Raul really seemed to get along great with Loyal- kindred, old spirits who kept on going on past their time. Cass, while she didn't do drugs, outdrank one of the Great Khans easily, and the Powder Gangers... well... yeah. Arm's length, they were. It was beyond odd to see them getting along just enough to where they could be in the same area together. But they all had a common enemy: Legion.

"Hey, Boone?"

"Hmm?"

"There's one problem I think we should talk about."

Boone noticed Jovie was leaning on the wall, dark circles under her eyes, her hair now in a long, side braid. He turned to her and crossed his arms.

"What is it?"

"Caesar and Vulpes."

Boone inhaled sharply. "Right..."

"Boone, the Legate will be tough enough. But I don't think they'll have him there. It would be too easy."

The ex-NCR sniper rubbed the scruff on his face. "You're wanting to infiltrate."

Jovie looked away from him. "It's crazy, I know. Boone, do you remember that man and the NCR Sharecropper Farm? The one whose family was taken from him by Legion?" Boone nodded. "Suppose they're still alive. And not just them, but a lot of other innocent people, too. If we don't get in there and free them, they're going to get massacred in the crossfire."

Boone let out a frustrated breath. "Shit, Jove, I hadn't even thought of that." He wiped the sweat off his brow. "I'm ready, whenever you are."

"It can't just be the two of us, though," Jovie addressed, standing upright. "Let's head back to the Lucky 38 and tell everyone. They can do their part, while we head directly for Caesar and Vulpes."

"Wait a minute," Boone interjected. "Didn't Vulpes give you the Mark of Caesar?"

Jovie scoffed, "I've killed several Legionnaires since then, Boone. Remember?" She took it out of her pocket and ripped it, letting the two pieces of paper fall to the ground. "Useless."

He couldn't help but know she was right. And that it had been his fault, partly. He was always so ready to pull that trigger whenever he saw just one Legionnaire bastard... and she had to defend him when he did. He couldn't help but notice how tired she was, so he took her by her hand and pulled her along with him.

"Where are we going?"

"Novac."

"Novac?" she asked, puzzled. "What? Why?"

"I have something I need to settle there, not to mention it's closer." He glanced back at her. "You're at your limit, Jove."

Jove's hand slipped out of his as she followed behind him. "I'm fine, Boone. This is more important."

"If you think going into Caesar's camp half asleep isn't idiotic, you're not the Jove I know," Boone snapped. He felt her boot on his butt, and he jumped slightly. "Okay, I deserved that."

"I told you. You keep snapping, I'll keep kicking," she retorted effortlessly, he without looking, he knew she had a smug grin on her face.

Things had changed between them since... the kiss. He didn't know what it meant, and neither did she. Necessity? The need the bring her back? Primal urge? It wasn't that either complained. They just... never brought it up again. She chose not to. If he wanted to talk about it, he would. She knew that much. Yet, he wasn't as rude. She knew he had PTSD without a doubt, and she couldn't blame him much for moments when he would snap at her. To be honest, she had changed, too. She had times where she was like a demon, manipulating people, bending their minds to her will. What she did to Dead Sea, how she helped NCR and Boone take out those Legionnaires... She was beyond return now.

Boone knew her differently. Of course she had changed. Who the hell wouldn't when faced with the shit she had endured? But she was still charismatic and witty, compassionate and... he couldn't think of the right words for her. What had occurred with Dead Sea and at Bitter Springs was a person getting revenge in a world where all that was left to avenge you was you yourself. He'd watched her grow, become a tactical survivalist. When he gave her the NCR beret after he agreed to go with her, she hardly ever took it off, and she represented NCR valiantly. She had so much respect, even from Kimball himself. That meant something.

The friendships she had with everyone: Cass, Veronica, Raul, Lily, Rex, ED-E, Arcade... they adored her. ED-E, a robot, was bonded to her. And him?

"Boone, can ya slow down a bit? I really am tired, ya know."

He stopped walking and looked back to see her limping slightly. "What, did you hurt your leg?"

"I don't know. My right leg just hurts for some reason..." she muttered. Then- "OUCH! CRAMP!"

Boone sighed as she reached for the canyon wall to lean onto it for support. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out two bottles of water, handing them to her.

"You have to start taking better care of yourself," he fussed.

 **XXXXXX**

Once at Novac, Boone looked around and inhaled, a slight pain in his chest. Had he been homesick? From this place, where he was hated so much? He felt a small hand on his arm, and he looked to his side to see her standing there, a smile on her face.

"Feels good?"

"I don't know... kinda," Boone answered, his eyes scanning the small town. "Funny... I even think I missed that freaking dinosaur."

Jovie laughed. "If you want, I can get you a souvenir."

"Very funny," Boone chuckled. They walked farther in, and Boone noticed the Jeannie May's body was no longer in a crumpled heap about twenty yards from the dinosaur. It was getting dark, and Boone's eyes focused on the dinosaur- Jovie at once knew what he had come here to do.

"I'll go somewhere else, if you wish," she spoke.

Boone shook his head. "You'll stay?"

Her eyes softened. "Of course."

They heard the door open and close to the dinosaur gift shop, and the steps of someone descending stairs. Around the massive tail walked Manny, his sniper rifle slung over his shoulder, a cigarette in his mouth as he headed toward his bungalow. Boone opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He grit his teeth, but Jovie understood. She ran up to Manny, up in front of him.

"Heya, Manny!" she greeted with her trademark smile.

"Jovie, holy shit!" he gasped, jumping. "You scared me!"

"What? You? You're a sniper! You're supposed to be ready for everything!" she joked as she gave him a playful slap on his shoulder.

"Not in a town like this." Manny caught his breath then shook her hand. "What brings you back here?"

Jovie clasped her hands behind her back. "It's not me, actually." She nodded behind Manny, who turned around to see Boone. The tension in the air was thick at once.

"Boone? What are you doing back here? You left without a word. People were talkin' that you were the one who killed Jeannie May."

Boone put his hands in his pockets. "Looks, Manny... we got a lot to talk about, okay?"

The hardness in Manny's eyes dulled. "We do, huh?"

"More than you know."

Manny looked at his bungalow and made his way to it, unlocking it. The other two followed, the door closing behind them. Inside, Manny sat his sniper rifle against the wall. He only had two chairs, so Jovie sat on the bed as Manny and Boone sat across each other from the table that divided them. Manny took another huff on his cigarette and puffed out the smoke.

"Somethin' tells me this is a good-bye sort of thing."

"More or less," Boone nodded. "I don't know if you know this or not, Manny... but there's a war coming."

Manny's eyes moved from Boone, to Jovie, then back to Boone. "You two are in it, aren't you?" No answer. "Then why the hell come back?"

"Because I want to tie up some loose ends," Boone answered effortlessly. Manny leaned back in his chair. "Manny... man, we were close."

Manny chuckled. "Heh, yeah, you're right. The shit we went through during our training days..."

"Wonder we made it out of there alive," Boone laughed. Jovie realized... that was the first time she ever heard him genuinely laugh. Boone reached for a shotglass, poured some vodka in it, and took a swig. He coughed; it had been years since he'd tasted alcohol. "I never should've let her come between us, Manny."

Manny took the cigarette out of his mouth and exhaled the fumes. He put it out in the ashtray. "C'mon, man. Don't do that."

"No, I need to say it." He glanced back at Jovie, who pulled the picture out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Sorry about the stain..." she whispered. "I was shot, and..."

Manny shook his head and took the picture from Boone. "You kept it?"

Jovie nodded. "I didn't give it to him. He only saw it when I was dying." Manny gave her a look, but she waved her hands in front of her. "Ohhh, I'm fine now. Just at the time, I wasn't." She lowered her hands and put them on the bed. "I would look at it a lot. I used to think maybe... maybe she would've liked me, me her."

Manny merely stared at the picture.

"She was just lonely, Manny," Jovie pointed out.

"Shit..." Manny groaned, running his hand over his face as he leaned back, the photo in the other hand.

"Being with Jove... I've learned some things," Boone spoke. "I messed up plenty of times in my life, Manny, but I don't want to mess up here. I don't want to go out with you thinking about the 'what-ifs' and all that bullshit." He grabbed the shotglass and turned it upside-down. "For all the wrong I've done you, I'm sorry." Droplets of vodka ran down the side of the shotglass, making a ring on the table. Manny swallowed hard, refusing to look at Boone or Jovie. "I did kill Jeannie May."

"I helped him."

"We found proof she sold Carla and the unborn baby, and I couldn't let her do it to anyone else." Boone tapped the bottom of the glass. "Look, I... I want you to keep this place safe, Manny. I believe you can, better than anyone." Manny still refused to look. "Don't forget the good times we had, yeah? We-"

"So you..." Manny's voice shook, "you come back... say your piece, your goodbyes, and I don't get to say a single word?"

Boone simply sat there. "Say what you want."

Eyes still away, he chewed on his bottom lip. "I had no one, Boone. Then we met, and I got a best friend. For once, I felt like I finally felt like I belonged some place." He sniffled. "Then she... Carla... she changed you, man. I know you were happy with her, happy when you learned you were to be a dad. But she hated me for what I was. A Great Khan. She told me so. Said that's all I would ever be." He finally looked at Boone, and they were pained to see tears streaking down his cheek. "Years, Boone. Years of nothing, and you come back to say your goodbyes? Bullshit." He grabbed the shotglass and threw it against the wall, it shattering into a million pieces. This made Jovie jump up, but Boone held out his arm to her, signaling it was okay. "BULLSHIT!"

"Manny. We're going to take out Caesar and Vulpes ourselves," Jovie. "If we make it through that, there's the war next."

Manny was now on his feet. "So what?! None of this means a damn thing!" He grabbed the ashtray and threw it next, clanging loudly on the wall behind Boone. "You come here with your excuses and apologies, and you expect me to give a damn?! At any time, you could've done this!"

"I've changed, Manny."

"The only thing that's changed about you is your direction of guilt," Manny lashed. He flipped his chair over and pointed to the door. "Get out."

"Man-"

"Get out!" Manny screamed. "Both of you! Get the hell out!"

Boone grabbed Jovie by her hand and pulled her up, urgently moving to the door and leaving. Once outside, Boone kept pulling Jovie with him across the yard until they entered his room at the hotel, where they entered and he locked the door behind him. He leaned his hands on his door, putting his bodyweight forward with a sigh. Jovie reached for him but stopped, knowing he needed space. He leaned up and walked to the bed and laid down on it, putting his beret over his face and his hands on top of his head. Jovie walked to the door, unlocked it, and left.

 **XXXXXX**

He heard the door open and close again, knowing it was Jovie. He heard her unzip her backpack but ignored it. After a moment or two, he heard her sit down on one of the chairs. Then...

"Can I have a Sarsaparilla?"

He motioned to the fridge, and she got up, opening it and getting one out, popping the top off with her knife and sipping on it. The sound of her sitting on a chair filled his ears again, and it confused him. He took his beret off his face and sat up in the bed, staring at her. She was reading a Pre-War book, so she didn't notice until she glanced at him.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You're not going to ask what any of that was about?"

"Why would I? It was pretty obvious," she answered. "He'll be all right, Boone. You know that."

He swung his legs over the bedside, shoulders stiff. "Yeah, I guess." He then noticed something on the nightstand and grinned. "Really, Jove?"

She looked at the small, plush dinosaur and shrugged. "Told you I was getting you one."

He reached and took it in his hands. Would he ever come back here? If they did happen to survive, then what? Jovie had done a small act of kindness (or what was small to her) by getting him this, but to him...

"You've stood by me... all this time," he spoke quietly, his eyes on the toy. She lowered her book and looked at him. "I... I don't understand any of this."

"Any of what?"

Boone then looked at her. "You."

She put the book down on the table. "I'm as simple as they come."

Boone shook his head. "No. No, you're not. Jove, you're..." He took his beret in his hands and tossed it, confused. "I don't know what you are."

Jovie stood up, empty bottle in hand, walked to the trashcan to toss it in, then picked up the beret.

"You know... I used to think me being shot in the head was a bad thing. Ya know, losing memories and all that shit. But had I not, none of this would've happened." She paced back and forth. "I never would've met Cass. Ronnie. Everyone else..." She looked at Boone. "I never would've met you." She smirked. "We sent power to everyone, remember? And that moron had no idea."

Boone stood up and grinned as well. "Oh, man. What was that guy's name?"

"Shit if I remember. All I know is that he annoyed the hell out of me."

Boone walked to her and reached for her beret. "Please." She shook her head. "Jove."

"You have to promise me something," she nearly whispered, her eyes on the beret.

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "We've faced a lot of shit that would've killed normal people by now." Her hold on the beret tightened. "Boone... I'm not going to lie to you. I'm scared."

"Yeah..." Boone murmured, "me, too." He put his hand on her arm. "I used to have a death wish, but... I think I finally found something to live for."

Tears were building in Jovie's eyes. "It's almost too much, you know? I get a second chance, and then..."

"Hey hey hey," Boone soothed as he took hold of both her arms this time. "You're with me. And when you're with me, what happens?"

"Things die."

"Right." He took the beret from her hands and placed it on the drawer behind her. "You know what?" She shook her hands. "We've stood by each other for a long time now."

"...Almost a year."

"Yeah," he nodded. "And that still goes." He put his index finger under her chin and tilted her head up, seeing the tear streaks that ran down her beautiful face. "Just stand by me. Okay?"

He planted a soft kiss on her lips and leaned back, an unfamiliar chemistry there. Their lips were close, and her eyes lingered on his, and he felt her lips on his next. They never parted afterwards, and he found his hands on her cheeks, wiping away the tears and holding tenderly onto them. Her hands were on his wrists, not pulling away, but holding on for dear life, wanting and needing this. It was primal, human... it was a need. But, there was _something_ there. It had been building up for a year, and the wants and desires were overwhelming. Their kissing was tender, as though they needed each other more than anything or anyone. She took her hands away from him and stepped back suddenly, now unsure. He reached and placed a hand on her cheek.

"It's okay."

"...I'm not her..."

"No. You're not."

"And that's okay?"

"It's more than okay."

He gently pulled her to him, where they resumed. They started removing armor, that being the difficult part. The clothing underneath would be easy. Plain white t-shirt for the both of them, Army cargo pants, Army boots... His fingers tenderly pulled up her shirt, and she felt exposed until she pulled off his shirt. He reached behind her and reached for the clasp of her bra, but struggled. She giggled.

"Sorry," she breathed. "One of the hooks is bent."

She undid it herself, and the bra fell to the floor, to which she covered herself. He pulled her hands away and kissed her.

"Don't be ashamed."

"I'm scarred up, Boone."

"So am I," he addressed, glancing down at his scars. "You're beautiful just the way you are. You've had to fight for everything. Don't ever be ashamed."

She reached for him and started kissing more fervently at those words. He fumbled with his belt, shaking, finally getting it off and unbuttoning his pants, unzipping and letting them fall to the floor. Before long, all clothing was gone, and they had moved to the bed, him above her and looking down at her. She seemed nervous, understandably.

"Are you scared?" he asked her. She nodded. "We can stop." She shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"I want this, Boone. I've... felt..." she shook her head. "Tonight is about us. Okay?"

"I can do that," Boone agreed. He kissed her again, his lips trailing from her lips, to her throat, planting several there, then to her chest, where he lingered a while, taking his time. Each moan she made was... he couldn't describe it. With his tongue, he traced lower and lower until...

"Boone!" she gasped, her back arching. Her hands took hold of his hands as his tongue took to its work, making sure she knew how thankful he was for everything she had done for him, for the gang... for everyone. Her body contorted, her legs shook, as well as her hands that were intertwined with his. He let go of one of her hands and reached up to a breast to fondle it, making her cry out. Loudly. He moved his head back a second to see her breathing heavily, clutching the sheets.

"...Jove?"

"...Gimme a second..."

He smirked. "Not a chance."

He moved his hand from her breast lower and inserted a finger softly, then continued to lick. She squirmed, her grip on his hand tightening.

"B-Boone, please... I..."

"Shh..."

He moved his finger in a "come hither" motion, and instantly, she let out another loud moan. He removed his finger and rose up, looking down on her.

"Just like me... it's been a long time for you."

"I wouldn't know," she cheekily grinned. "But you're doing fantastic."

Boone positioned himself between her legs, holding his member, the look in his eyes something Jovie couldn't quite place. "Ready?"

"Yes," she nodded.

He entered, slowly, watching her facial expressions to know when to move further in or when to wait. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her nails leaving marks on his skin. Finally, after some time, he was fully in.

"Jove... can I move?"

"Y-Yes," she nodded. "Please!"

He pulled out slightly, and she gasped. He knew that sound. After all, he was married at one time. He moved back in, and the hold around his shoulders tightened, her legs now pulling him in further. He moved slowly, passionately. This wasn't about him, not to him. It was about her. He leaned down and kissed her softly, their tongues dancing around each other. His arms were on either side of her head, and he felt a wetness on his wrist. At first, he thought it was sweat, but then he noticed... she was crying. He stopped, concerned.

"Jove, what's-"

"No no, it's okay," she smiled through her tears. "I'm just... happy. For once, I'm happy." She rocked her hips, making a slight moan escape Boone's lips. "Together... right?"

She then flipped them over, and started riding him, slowly at first then picking up speed. He gripped the headboard, his head rolled back into the pillow. He couldn't help the noises he was making, and neither could she. It hit him then and he wanted to say it, but...

"Boone!" she moaned, her back arching as she orgasmed again. Boone sat up and started thrusting into her, making her ride it out as long as she could, until she begged for mercy. But she didn't. He kissed her stomach, her chest... He pushed her on her back, grabbed her legs, and held them together on his chest as he thrust into her, watching her intently. The faces she made, the sounds, the... everything. It all mattered right here, right now. She was nearly screaming, so she covered her mouth as she felt yet another release. Boone thought he was either so wound up, her body just needed a way out or she was extremely sensitive. She pulled back and turned, getting on her hands and knees, her rear facing him. He shook his head.

"Not tonight..." he breathed. He turned her around and spread her legs, getting between them again and putting his member into her once more. "I want to see your face."

He started again, and that's when he noticed her braid had fallen out. Beneath him was one of the strongest people he had ever known, and at the moment, as of every moment before he was too stupid to realize it, the most beautiful, inside and out. Rocking her hips with his, his hands on either side of her she gripped tightly, making marks in the shape of fingers. She latched her legs around him again, making him go as deep as he could. Now, it wasn't about passion. It was primal need. He went, and he went hard. And she met with just as much ferocity.

"W-Wait," Boone breathed, "Jove-"

He felt her climax again, and before he could do anything, he climaxed inside her. They rode out their climaxes together until Boone collapsed on top of her, making her squeak and him laugh.

"Sorry, but, Boone... you're squishing me."

He laughed again and rolled off. They lay on their sides, looking at each other. He reached out and took a lock of her hair and put it behind her ear then leaned in and kissed her. She smiled at him, her eyelids heavy... and it wasn't long until sleep found her. Boone... for the first time didn't think of Carla. What was before him, sound asleep... the person he had just made love with. He would protect to the ends of the earth. And the feeling he felt... He would tell her if they made it.

 **XXXXXX**

They headed out the next day, feeling rested and much better than before. What had happened the night before... they weren't sure what it meant, but it had meant something. They left the Bungalow and headed toward the gate-

"Boone."

He and Jovie stopped and turned- Manny embraced Boone tightly, shedding tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just don't want to lose you again, man. Not again..."

Boone embraced him back. "Hey, I'll try my best. Okay?"

Manny nodded, wiping away his tears. He then glanced at Jovie and moved closer to Boone's ear. "I'm not sure what this is, but uh... take care of her, okay? She seems like a good gal."

Boone looked at Jovie quickly then to Manny. "She is. If we make it, we'll be more formally introduced."

Manny nodded with a smile. "I'd like that."

Boone and Jovie started to walk away, Manny watching and praying to any god that did exist for them to come back alive.


	7. Chapter 7

_***A little shorter, but we're getting to the end.***_

" _Boone! Boone, no!"_ she whispered, grabbing onto his sleeve to stop him from going out of cover. He saw people on crosses, children and women as slaves. She knew what he felt, for she saw it in Nipton and Nelson, but they couldn't risk it now. He bit his lip so hard, it brought blood. _"You're smarter than this. The others will come behind us and rescue them. You know this."_ She tightened her grip on Maria and remained crouched, moving slowly but effectively. Boone took one more glance at the people on the crucifixes before following Jovie. Sneak ops... not even his forte. Sure, he was a sniper, but to be this close to the enemy and to do nothing-

He heard the snapping of a neck, then another one quickly. He blinked and looked to see Jovie unclothing two dead Legionnaires, hiding in their tent.

" _Jove-"_

" _How else do you think we're going to get there?"_ she asked, taking off her shirt. She put the armor on and handed the other to Boone. _"You don't like it? Tough. This is how it's gonna play out."_

He pursed his lips as he grabbed the armor, taking off his clothing and his beret, Jovie taking off hers as well. They stuffed them down in their armor and put on the headgear. Jovie's was slightly big on her, but it would do. She then put her hand on Boone's hand.

" _I can't talk here anymore, Boone. Women are treated like cattle here. They hear my voice, and it's all over."_

Boone gave her a single nod, understanding. She gave him a nod back, and they stood up, acting like normal Legionnaires. To walk through the camp, welcomed and hailed... it was odd. Seeing women and children, carrying burdens way beyond what was considered humane... He could see Jovie staring straight ahead. She couldn't let it get to her. They walked above the hill, and a small child dropped his load.

"Insolent brat!" they heard a Legionnaire yell. "You there!" he said, pointing at both Boone and Jovie. "Show him what it means to mess up around here. He is new."

The boy's eyes widened as he looked up at Jovie and Boone, and Boone knew it was over. No way... Then, Jovie reached down and grabbed the boy behind the neck, pulling him toward her.

" _Don't you utter a word or sound other than pain, you got that?"_ Jovie ordered the boy. _"Don't nod, either. Just cry out."_

Jovie then slapped the boy across the face, and he let out a cry that impressed even Boone. Boone chose to speak to cover for Jovie.

"He'll be getting more than just that one, I assure you," he laughed. "Stupid brat."

"Ha, you got that right," the Legionnaire laughed along. "Now, boy, pick it back up and get going."

Boone and Jovie didn't stay around long enough until they topped the hill and opened the massive gate which led to Caesar's tent. They kept going, and Boone could see Jovie's hands start to shake ever so lightly.

" _Relax."_

They soon stood in front of the tent, where a guard was.

"Halt," he ordered, holding his hand out to them. "What's your business with Caesar?"

"I am Tillanius," Boone replied. "I was sent on a mission to annihilate Bitter Springs, and I have come to report success."

The guard lowered his hand and moved back. "Ah, good. Caesar will be most pleased. Head on in."

The two entered the tent to see four guards, Caesar in his chair, and Vulpes standing next to him. Caesar leaned up in his seat, interested now in seeing two Legionnaires before him.

"The only ones I am expecting back are those from Bitter Springs," he spoke. "Tell me of the status."

Boone stepped forward, and behind him, Jovie withdrew Maria and Li'l Devil, capping the four guards instantly. Caesar jumped up, Vulpes standing in front of him as the guard ran in, only for Jovie to turn to her side and shoot him as well.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Caesar yelled.

Boone and Jovie removed their headgear and tossed it to the side. Caesar's face, already oddly pale, turned even paler. Vulpes grit his teeth. He ran toward Boone and Jovie, brandishing his ballistic fists. Boone moved to the side, and Jovie blocked them when she formed a V with her pistols. She smirked at him, showing him a side to her he had yet to see. It angered him.

"I should've killed you at Nipton," he snarled.

"Maybe you should've," she grunted. She pushed him back, started to fire, but he moved swiftly and punched her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. Boone already had Caesar in a choke grip, but the old man was stronger than he looked. He wrestled Boone off and punched him with his ballistic fist, knocking Boone backwards.

"You came here for what? To kill me? Another one will take my place," Caesar breathed, rubbing his neck. "The Legate will win this war."

"We'll deal with the Legate when the time comes," Boone panted. "I just wanna see you dead first."

Jovie shot at Vulpes again, missing by just a fraction. He threw a fist, but she jumped back and shot again, this time hitting his arm. He grunted, the arm going limp slightly.

"Aww, how sad. Just one arm to do your bidding now," Jovie mocked.

Vulpes laughed. "You know nothing of being a legionnaire." He punched her back into the tent, closer to Boone and Caesar. They then heard the door opening, and inside ran three legionnaires with guns. Jovie ran behind a pillar, a bullet barely missing her. Boone pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Caesar, but Vulpes punched his back, knocking him forward and onto the ground. Jovie ran out of cover and started pot-shooting, a cry tearing from her lips as a bullet pierced her arm. By now, Boone had risen and got a lucky shot in, killing a legionnaire. Jovie was trying to reload, but she heard steps- she looked up just in the nick of time to see Vulpes grinning at her, his ballistic fist swinging. She ducked, it hitting the pillar and splitting it. She rose up and pistol-whipped his face, then tackled him, pressing her knee on his throat, giving her enough time to load. She pressed the pistol against his forehead... and shot. No time for celebration, she heard Boone yell as he took another hit by a ballistic fist. She jumped over Caesar's "throne", her boot colliding to the face of a legionnaire. However, another Legionnaire tackled her, hard, and pinned her to the ground, his hands gripping tightly around her throat. Her pistols... she'd dropped them. But she saw his machete, so she started thrashing wildly, him choking her. Boone shot one of the legionnaires, took out his knife, grabbed Caesar, pinned him to a pillar, and dug the knife in his upper left shoulder until he heard it sink into the wood. He pulled out another knife and pierced it into his hand, making sure he wouldn't be able to move. What happened next...

Boone turned around to see the Legionnaire who had Jovie move one hand from her neck lower and lower- before he could react, she let out a garbled scream, grabbed his machete, and slashed his neck. The legionnaire screamed and broke away, but she pursued and hacked again and again...

"Jove! Jove, stop it!" Boone cried out to her, grabbing onto her bloodied hand that held the machete. Her eyes were wild, and her breathing was heavy. She was reliving Dead Sea all over again.

"Jove, it's me. It's Boone."

He struggled to get her to let go of the machete, but he finally got it in his hands then dropped it. He got in front of her and looked into her eyes.

"Remember me?"

Nothing. Still wild. Then... dull. This scared him. He knew what those eyes meant.

"Jove. Jove, no, don't do this to me. It's me. Boone. The person who... the person who..." He took her hands into his. Her eyes were still... "Jove... look at me, baby."

She finally blinked, life coming into them. They focused on Boone as she started to register everything.

"Craig...?"

He jerked. She'd never called him by his first name.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me."

She then slowly shook her head. "Sorry," she slowly spoke. "I don't call you that. I call you-"

"No. It's okay," Boone interrupted. He then held her tightly, her arms limp by her sides. "I'm sorry. I should've gotten there sooner."

"What? No," she said, pushing him away, finally back to her senses. "Boone, it's okay. Thanks for bringing me back."

Boone looked to the side. "I said you could call me Craig."

"Can I?" she asked. He nodded. "Seems so weird. Craig." She turned her head to the tent exit. "I wonder how the others are doing."

"We still have one last thing to address," Boone said, looking at Caesar. He walked to him, and he simply laughed, shaking his head.

"Do what you will. I have no care."

"Craig," Jovie called out to him. He turned, and she was looking at X-rays and doctors' notes. "He's dying."

Boone glared at Caesar, who had blood seeping out of his mouth. "Ironic, isn't it?" Caesar coughed. "The things I've done, the people I've killed to ensure my survival. The way of life I tried to spread in which the fittest of the fit make it in this miserable, godforsaken world, and I'm the one who gets a brain tumor." He laughed. "Me. Caesar. The best of the best other than Legate."

"You chose who was best. That meant shit," Boone spat.

Caesar nodded slowly. "You're right," he agreed. "Look at me. The doctors kept saying I was going crazy, having hallucinations, sending my men out on wild card missions... But it all made sense to me."

"Craig," Jovie called, and he knew her tone. He shook his head and looked at Caesar.

"You expect pity? From me?"

Caesar clicked his tongue. "Oh, that's right. That wife of yours..." He then looked at Jovie. "I see you've moved on. Could've done better, but that's your choice. I'd still like to see a collar on her pretty ne-"

Boone didn't even flinch when Jovie slit Caesar's throat. A small gargling noise came from his throat, then his head hung forward. Silence filled the room, then they heard the door open, but they knew... it was the rest of the gang filling into the tent.

"God..."Arcade sighed. "You granted him no solace."

"Why the hell should they?" Cass questioned him.

"I didn't mean it as a bad thing."

Boone stared at Caesar's body then took hold of the hand that had the knife which was used to slit his throat. "Jove?"

"He had no right, talking about her like that," Jovie answered honestly. "Not her."

Boone didn't let go.


	8. Chapter 8

_*In response to Guest: Thank you so much! I know it's not a popular category to read anymore since Fallout New Vegas is an older game, but I just love these two so much and wanted to give the Courier a chance with Boone, and give Boone a chance at happiness. I'm so thankful for you reading!_

 _Also, warning:_ _ **SMUT**_ _.*_

"I want you all go out and have fun," Jovie spoke, looking from person to person in the suite. She missed Victor's "High Roller Suite" and his greets, but after taking House offline... Yet, it had to be done. Their eyes conveyed to her that they were immensely confused, so she shook her head and smiled. "Look... When you get back, we have to start heading to the Dam. The war starts tomorrow, and I want this night to be a night where you can relax."

"You mean for us to have fun before we die," Arcade cynically joked. Raul elbowed his ribs. "Ow, I was joking." He smiled at Jovie. "We can do that. You should, too."

Lily swung her massive arms. "Saw little children chasing molerat near Fort. Help them kill it."

Veronica laughed. "You do that, Lily." She walked to her room. "I think... I'll put that dress on one last time."

Raul nudged her shoulder. "Lucky dress, eh?"

She blushed and punched his shoulder. "Stop teasing me, Raul!"

He laughed, but when she wasn't looking, he rubbed his shoulder, making a pained face.

"Well, we'll all be off, then," Arcade saluted, pressing the button for the elevator. "You two have fun."

Neither Boone or Jovie reacted, leading to an awkward silence. The elevator doors opened, and before the others piled in, Jovie called for them to wait.

"The war is tomorrow," she outed. Everyone turned and looked at her, silence again taking over. Her head was bowed, her eyes on the ground for a moment before looking up at them, her green eyes honest. "If you don't come back... I won't blame you, nor will I think any less of you for it." She looked at her Pipboy, which told her it was nine in the morning. "If you decide to come back... I'll see you at seven this evening."

It was matter-of-fact, but that's how she had to be. Wordlessly, the others piled in, minus Jovie and Boone. Rex would probably go to The King, ED-E following him. When the doors closed, Jovie exhaled and slumped in a chair, her feet aching. Boone sat down on the chair next to her, his hands in his lap. They had just returned from saving Kimball from an assassination attempt, and it was then they knew... the war was nigh. She took off her NCR beret and put it in her lap then took out her loose side braid, her now-long brown hair cascading down her back. It was straight, minus the slight wave the braid gave it.

"You should go out, too, Craig," she whispered to him. He didn't look at her.

"I'll stay."

"For what reason?" she asked. "I'm sure you have things to work out... people to see-"

"I resolved that with Manny. Remember?" he interrupted. He folded his hands together. "What about you?"

She scoffed, then thought a moment before leaning back in her chair. "If it wasn't too far, I'd like to go back to Goodsprings. They, uh... they really helped me there." She put a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'd at least like to Doc Mitchell know how I'm doing... how grateful I am. He saved my life."

"I'm sure he knows, Jove."

She nodded and fiddled with her beret. "...I'm not ready for this, Craig." He didn't say a word. "God, all this over a stupid poker chip..." She leaned forward, her hands on her knees and her head in her hands. "But I can't keep Legion doing this. I can't..."

"Legion has to be stopped. One way or the other."

She lowered her hands from her face. "I know you've tried diplomacy-"

"NCR has. Every which way."

"I'm going to try my own."

Boone's eyes cut to her, and she looked at her hands. "I've done enough killing... We all know how good I am with words." She then directed her eyes to Boone. "I'm going to speak to the Legate."

"Jove... he'll kill you," he argued. "You haven't seen him. He's in full armor, carries a massive sword."

Jovie's right hand twitched. "What else do you know about him?" Boone shook his head. "Craig, please... I have to try."

He stared into her eyes briefly before inhaling and exhaling. "Legate Lanius. Originally from a gang called the Hidebarks, the toughest of the tough... except when it came to Caesar. Lanius, seeing his men surrender, killed his Chieftain and fifteen others of his tribe before he was finally knocked out. His entire face was almost ripped off during the fight."

"Jesus..." Jovie breathed, her eyes on the floor.

"When he came to, Caesar offered him a place in his tribe and a mask for his face. Lanius agreed, but to one stipulation."

"Which was?"

"To kill the survivors of his tribe." Boone crossed one ankle over the other, stretching his legs out. "Caesar agreed, but wanted the women and children alive."

"What's his mask of?"

"Mars, the god of War," Boone answered. "I, uh... I spoke to a slave a freed when we killed Caesar. Her name is Siri. She apparently was one of Lanius' favorites." He sighed. "Anyway, he wasn't popular amongst the Legion."

"Why is that?"

"No one thinks he's truly 'honorable' to Legion."

"I don't understand."

Boone uncrossed his feet and sat up. "Okay, let's put it this way. Have you ever heard the game 'Russian Roulette'?"

"Of course."

"He does that, in a way, as punishment to those who he deems deserving of it," Boone informed. It's an old Roman practice. The entire army is divided into ten groups, and every group casts lots. The unlucky soldier on whom the lot falls on-"

"Dies."

"You guessed it," Boone nodded. "He goes so far as to even have his slaves blinded so they can never see his face. They say his cunning, and his strength his beyond 'god and man'."

"He's a monster."

"I'm not even sure he's worth being called that." Boone then looked at her. "Knowing this... you're still going to try to try diplomacy?" She nodded. "Christ, Jove..."

"What do you want me to do?!" she yelled, rising to her feet, throwing her arms in the air. "Fight him, and then lose more men and women?"

"That's what we're trained to do."

"Trained..." she muttered. "Yeah, well, I'm 'trained' differently. I talk to him. If I can't get him to see things my way, then maybe he'll only kill me and be done with it."

At once, Boone reached her and took hold of her wrists. "You won't put yourself at that risk."

"What's it matter, Craig?" she laughed incredibly, jerking her hands out of his hold. "It's just me. If I don't do this right, it can and will be a lot more."

She turned to walk away, but he grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her around to face him. "'What's it matter?' Jove, _you_ matter! Cass, Veronica, Raul, Arcade... all those people you've helped along the way- you don't think you matter?!"

"In the grand scheme of things, no!" she fumed, jerking her arm in vain. "Craig, let me go! You don't-" she gasped. He always wore his sunglasses, so it took her a second to see it. Tears were streaming down his face. The hold on her wrist was so tight that her arm shook. She understood. She relaxed her body and got closer to him. "Craig... you knew this was a possibility. Tomorrow... you could, too."

"I'm not losing... I won't..."

She couldn't hear what he was muttering. "What?" He stopped talking, but she used her free hand to take hold of his. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. And kissed him again. He returned her kiss, and he let go of her wrist, his arm going around her waist and pulling her to him. She flipped his beret off, took his sunglasses off, and wiped his tears away. "I get it," she breathed, then resumed kissing him. She took off her shirt, and her small hands took off his. She had taken off her bra once they had gotten to the Lucky 38, because during the assassination attempt on Kimball, during a skirmish, a strap broke. From now on, a sports bra would do. She wasn't necessarily big, but she still needed support. Boone picked her up, her legs locking around his waist, and his moved back, their lips locked and tongues dancing as she felt her back slam against the wall, eliciting a grunt from her. She lowered her legs to kick off her boots, and his hand went down her pants and underwear, making their lips part as she gasped. She tried kicking her boots off time and time again-

"Damn army boots!" she fussed. "Craig- gimme-"

He pulled his hand out, and they both started to hastily untie their boots. Finally, they threw them off, and she took him by the hand and led him into a bedroom. She pushed him towards the bed, and when the back of his legs hit the bed, he was forced to sit. This was when she undid his belt and unzipped his pants, reaching into his underwear and pulling out his hardened penis. She gave it a couple strokes, making him purse his lips together, then licked it teasingly before taking it into her mouth and moving her hand up and down and she moved her head up and down. He let out a low groan, clenching the bedding. His hand then went to the top of her head and helped her move along, and it wasn't too much longer-

"Jove, wait!" he cried out, pushing her head back gently. She pulled back with a pop, an he was breathing heavily. She looked up at him from on her knees on the floor, confused. "I couldn't... I was..." He then reached down and kissed her. "You did great, that's what I'm saying."

She blushed. "Really?" He then grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet, removed her pants and underwear, then his tongue found her folds. Her legs instantly began to shake, her hands placing on his shoulders.

"C-Craig... you can't d-do that- ah- with-"

She moved forward, making him lie back on the bed to where she was sitting on his face. She put her hands on the headboard, his tongue tracing her most sensitive regions, her hips rocking as moans escaped her. He gripped her hips to hold her into place, and then she let out a loud cry, falling forward slightly. He moved out from under her and sat beside her, her letting go of the headboard and blushing at him, a smile on his face. She leaned forward and kissed him, tasting her on his lips. She turned around, on her hands and knees, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"You want this, don't you?"

He got behind her, and carefully, slowly put it in, making her gasp and clench the sheets. He grabbed her hips and began to move in and out, her vocals giving him all the answers he needed. With one hand, he reached around and grabbed onto a breast, playing with it and eliciting even more moans and sighs from her. She started moving with him, and he pushed her back down, her chest and stomach on the bed, allowing for deeper access. She let out a scream, luckily it being muffled by a pillow, and he went harder and faster.

"Craig!" he heard her cry out. It was ecstasy. Pure ecstasy. He felt her walls tremble, and he pulled out, close himself. Not now. Not yet. She rolled over and pushed him back, getting on top of him to ride him. But instead, she turned around, reverse cowgirl. She let him sink into her, and she rode him like he'd never been ridden before. He noticed her back muscles, her arm muscles- all her muscles in general. She was small but... tough. Strong. Enduring. He also noticed she was massaging herself with a hand, and he knew she wanted, needed another climax. He pulled her off of him and turned her around, only to enter her again. His mouth found her nipples, his tongue unable to decide which one to focus on more. He just kept going, and his hand went to her clit, where he rubbed passionately and gently, but effectively enough to where hopefully, she would have her release. He could feel his building up. Their stamina... He glanced over at her Pipboy on the floor... almost two hours. They were getting tired, and they knew they would need to rest at least a little before setting off towards the dam.

He felt her hand on his face, and he turned to look and her to see her verdant eyes on him, a warm smile on her face. What she said next, he wasn't ready for.

"Craig Boone... I'm in love with you."

He came. As did she. And there was an odd feeling in his chest, and she could tell it. She pulled off him and sat up.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't..." Those words... Why... He just stared at her. "I'm sorry."

She got up, gathered her clothes, and left the room. And Boone, for some reason, couldn't say a damn thing.

 **XXXXXX**

They all sat in the suite, around the dining room table- minus for Lily, ED-E, and Rex, of course- debating on the next steps to take. An attempt on Kimball's life had just been taken, and if it hadn't been for Jovie and Boone, the attempt would've been successful. Jovie sat at the head of the table, her hair now long. She wasn't wearing it in a braid now, and it was wet due to her just bathing. The silence that lingered was understandable; this was it. Tomorrow, the war would start, and the future was unknown. Jovie leaned forward, dressed ready for battle, like the rest of them.

"Well... you're all here."

Cass snorted. "Shit, Jovie, what a keen eye for observation."

They all shared a laugh, then Jovie tapped her index finger on the armrest of the chair.

"Yeah... but I'm glad you are," she quietly said. "You came back, knowing you didn't have to, and I..." She sighed. "Dammit... I'm so good at words, but why am I so bad now?"

"Take your time," Raul assured.

Jovie nodded, then pushed the chair away, standing up. "I, uh... When I started out, I was alone... I'd been shot, left for dead. I had no friends that I knew of." Her eyes scanned the table. "And now look." She felt her lip quiver. "I'm going to try diplomacy with Legate Lanius tomorrow." Nothing was said. Everyone just sort of... knew. "Knowing what I do now, what faces us tomorrow. To see you all here, after everything..." She felt tears roll down her cheeks. "I can't thank you enough."

"Hey, you helped us. It's our turn to help you," Cass spoke.

Arcade stood up and walked to Jovie. He stared at her for the longest time before saying anything. "...I have to leave, Jovie. You know this."

Jovie nodded again. "The Enclave, that's right." Jovie shook her head and looked around at each of her friends. "I have no memories of my life before. But I will say the ones I have with you..." She cried slightly harder. "...are the best."

She noticed that Cass had her hat turned over her face, but she saw tears on her chin. Veronica tried to hide it, but couldn't. If Raul could cry, he would have been. Lily understood the bittersweet farewell to an extent, but she was all right.

Arcade took hold of one of Jovie's hands. "I'll be there. We all will be, and we'll help," he promised. He kissed her forehead. "Look for me there, okay?"

"You bet I will," Jovie cried, watching him until the elevator took him away. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Well... let's head out."

XXXXXX

They reached the dam, and upon entering they were greeted by a general who seemed slightly peeved.

"Well, you took your sweet ass time getting here," he mouthed off. Before Jovie or anyone could say anything, he continued. "Let's get this down to brass tracks. We need to get this thing moving if we want to keep the element of surprise."

Jovie shrugged. "What... is this about?"

"Sorry. General Oliver. Lee Oliver. Anyway, you've done some great work for us up to this point, and we're hoping to use your unique abilities to aid once again. Thanks to the tasks my subordinates have delegated to you, the NCR now has a unique opportunity."

"Which is what?" Jovie asked.

"We now have a chance to take the fight to the bastards on their home turf-"

"Yes, sir, about that," Jovie interrupted. "We sort of took care of that already."

"Caesar and some of his soldiers may be dead, but don't forget, there's still the Legate and his soldiers," Oliver reminded. "I am in the beginning stages of planning out an assault of The Fort. I've made calls to our allies, and they are on their way to our position. Once our forces are in place and garrisoned there, we'll begin our assault."

Jovie couldn't believe it. After everything they had done to take down The Fort, and Lanius just went behind them and set up shop once again. Just as she was getting a sinking feeling, an NCR soldier ran in, pushing past her.

"Sir! I don't know what happened, but a bunch of Legionnaires just stormed into the power station!"

"Into the power station? How is that possible?"

The NCR soldier, a young man barely in his twenties, shook his head, befuddled. "I don't know, sir. There was some talk of them entering through the clogged intake tunnels, but I don't have any confirmation." He ran his fingers through his hair, obviously shaken up. "On my way up here, there was some chatter about their commander, the Legate I think he's called, set up at some kind of base on the eastern bank."

Oliver looked at Jovie. "Okay, listen here. Unless we get some additional support, I'm going to need you to help me resolve this situation. You need to make your way to this camp they have on the eastern bank and take out the Legate. That should hamstring this attack."

Jovie punched a fist into her other palm. "That's what I was planning all along."

She turned to her friends. "Think you all can handle this?"

"Ohh, you know it," Veronica grinned, punching her ballistic fists together.

"You better. I want to see all of you when this is over."

They heard the doors open and close. "Even me?"

They looked to see someone in Enclave armor, but Jovie knew. She ran up to him and hugged him. "Arcade! Ooof! Do you know how hard it is to hug you in this thing?"

"Hey, I told you I'd be here. So, let's get this show on the road!"

"We'll do our thing. Don't worry about us," Raul assured. They took off toward the plant, Boone staying.

"I'm with you."

"As always?" she grinned.

"As always," he nodded. And they entered the plant as well.

"Good gracious!" they heard a man cry out. It startled them to see him down there, trying to hide. "The Legion is using the intake tunnels to storm their way into the dam. Someone has to stop them!"

"We got that, but what are you still doing down here? You need to get somewhere safe!" Jovie fussed.

"I'm trying! Wait... I got it!" the man exclaimed. "I think that you should be able to divert the flow of the water into the generator turbines. That would grind them up like hamburger. The computer to active it is up ahead, but you may need to go outside to activate the manual override. That system hasn't been used in a while."

"Thanks!" Jovie nodded. "What's your name?"

"Mike Lawson."

"Thanks, Mike Lawson. Really," Jovie smiled. Boone couldn't believe her magnanimity even now. "Now, go find a safe place to hide!"

"I will. Good luck!"

Mike ran through the doors that lead the General Oliver's office while the others ran through the doors that led into the plant. Already, NCR was fighting Legion. Then, here came to their aid: The Great Khans, Powder Gangers, Boomers, all there, helping them fight. Jovie looked up and saw the computer Mike Lawson had spoken of and pointed it to Boone. He nodded, so they headed that way. They neared the doors, which opened- instantly, Boone pulled Jovie back and threw a grenade into the hallway, which exploded. She looked around to see dead Legionnaires.

"Gotta watch out for that."

"Gotcha."

They rounded another corner, Boone withdrawing a pistol and Jovie withdrawing Maria, taking down three Legionnaires. One ran down a set of stairs and shot, the bullet grazing Jovie's cheek- he suddenly collapsed, and Raul bent down and waved, grinning before disappearing to fight again. They ran up the stairs to the computer, which Jovie set to work, Boone on her 6.

"Shit, this thing is password encrypted," she hissed. "Buy me time, Craig."

"Will do."

More Legionnaires started up their way, and he started shooting as many as he could. She stopped typing and started shooting herself, but then Lily, Rex, and ED-E appeared to lend a hand.

"DON'T HURT MY BABIES!" Lily yelled, slamming her sledgehammer down on several Legionnaires, squashing them like bugs. While Rex gnawed on one's leg, ED-E shot it with its laser, disintegrating it. With their help, they were able to decode it and headed outside, only to be met with more opposition. But they weren't without help, and they found the valve Lawson was talking about. Jovie looked at Boone and gave him a nod.

"It's time we find that eastern bank."

"We're on the western side, Jove. We gotta go back in and around."

"Well, we'd better do it fast."

Heading back inside, more Legionnaires were fighting. Bodies were strewn everywhere, but so far, none that they personally knew. The rounded around to the eastern side, heading out, and instantly, Jovie was hit with a bullet in her arm. Boone pulled her down behind a barricade, and she was already applying pressure to it. He reached in his backpack-

"CRAIG!"

He didn't even stop looking when he used his other hand to shoot the Legionnaire that was three feet from him. He pulled out medical supplies and looked at Jovie's arm.

"Clean through. That's good. No bone. Even better," he sighed, relieved as he patched her up. "Ready?"

She nodded, and they continued on. They would run, hide behind a barricade, pop up enough to shoot. Boone popped up once, and the next thing Jovie knew, he grunted and was on the ground.

"Craig? Craig?!"

An NCR sniper took out the Legionnaire that had shot Boone. She looked, and he had been shot in the stomach.

"Oh god. Oh god. Oh god..." she panicked. She got on the radio. "Arcade!"

"No... I'm okay. Patch me up and let's go."

She lifted him up to see an exit wound and blood. "No. Arcade!"

"What?!"

"Eastern side!"

"Almost there, actually. Figured you'd need me. And I'm- here!"

She looked up to see him. "Thank God. Arcade, please, help him. I'll cover."

Arcade looked at Boone's wound and sighed. "You're lucky. Missed vital areas and all."

"I know that. Just patch me up."

"Ask nicely."

"Arc..."

"Shut up, you know I'm already doing it," he joked as he applied antiseptic, which made Boone yell loudly. He cleaned the wound and put gauze on it, wrapping his torso up as quickly as he can. Jovie and the NCR and other help were taking out Legionnaires one by one, losing some of their own as well. "Think you can make it?"

"I have to help her see this through."

"All right. I'll be right behind you."

That's when they realized all Legionnaires on the eastern side were dead. They walked on to find a small shack that had medical supplies, which they graciously took, and then headed on through.

On the other side of that door stood Legate Lanius. Jovie's first instincts was that Boone had been right, but hadn't told her everything. He was a tall man... probably could reach Lily's shoulder, easily. His armor was all gold, and his mask... His men stood at the ready, but Jovie held her hand up, as did Lanius. He walked toward her and Boone, Arcade standing behind them at the ready. Nearing her, she felt so small... at 5'3, he towered her. But she would not let him intimidate her. She had been through too much hell for that.

Lanius studied her for a moment before speaking. "And who are you to come before me... you bear the Insignia of the Bear, yet you do not wear it as a soldier of the West wears it."

Jovie grinned maliciously. "What? Caesar giving you orders from beyond the grave?"

Lanius backhanded Jovie, and instantly, Boone reached for his pistol-

"Boone!" Arcade warned, stopping him.

Boone stopped, watching the blood drip from Jovie's nose.

"Caesar's will is the will of the Legion. And the West... all beneath the flag of the Great Bear exist to test the strength of the Legion. The West shall fall as the East fell, and all the tribes that stretch to the setting sun shall bear the mark of the Legion."

Jovie rubbed her bruising cheek and wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. "Maybe you're willing to listen to reason."

Lanius swatted his hand to the side. "I see you fight with words, like all beneath the flag of the Bear. Let us hope your skills with weapons proves better."

Jovie shook her head. "This battle is decided. That's why I'm here."

Lanius' head cocked to the side. "So you seek quarter? Terms to surrender? Our roads into the NCR are hung with the bodies of those who attempted to negotiate with us." He scoffed. "Save your speeches. We will take Hoover Dam and move forward until our feet crush the setting sun beneath them."

Jovie motioned around with her arms then crossed them. "Move forward? The Legion spent _years_ trying to take Hoover Dam."

Lanius shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Boone could see... Jovie was winning. "Hoover Dam has never seen the massed strength of the East. Only Legates such as Graham... who deserved the fire Caesar blessed him with." He patted his chest. "Now I am here, and make markers of your people as the Legion carves its way West."

"And then what of the East?" Jovie asked. "What then?"

Lanius put his hands on his hips. "You speak in circles! What of the East? I _am_ the East, and I will prove it this day."

"But if you need all the East to crush the West..." Jovie hinted.

"The victory here shall be swift. Our forces shall take the Dam, secure it, the build a road west on the bodies of the NCR." Lanius crossed his arms. "The East will hold. Once across the Colorado, nothing to rival Hoover Dam remains."

Jovie stepped forward. "Well, except Vegas."

"Vegas will fall," Lanius confidently spoke.

"Really?" Jovie asked in a sing-song voice, rocking back and forth. "I hope you're not counting on the Omertas to help you."

"I count on no one."

Jovie clasped her hands behind her back, shifting her weight from leg to leg. "Oh, good. Because the Omertas' plan was stopped. Vegas is as strong as ever."

Lanius growled and crossed his arms in annoyance. "A plan by Vulpes... treachery is a plan no one should ever rely on. I can only hope that the Omertas died when their treachery was exposed; to have the plan succeed would only have sullied the Legion." He shook his head. "It does not matter. Victory shall be ours, it shall be swift, and it will be honest, purchased with blood."

Jovie then became serious. "It is not the strength of the West that will slow you down, Legate. It is their weakness."

Lanius was completely thrown off by this. Hell, even Boone and Arcade were. "Your weakness? You seek to thwart me by claiming the Legion is too strong for you?"

"Nope. Not that at all," Jovie denied. "NCR's weakness is its size- it'll take your entire army to hold the West."

Boone smirked. _'Atta girl._

Lanius didn't budge. "That does not mean we would not succeed."

"Eventually, sure," Jovie nodded mockingly. "But moving your whole army West means losing the East. You can't hold both."

At this, they could see the pride in Lanius subside. "The East was a hard-fought campaign. Even now, Caesar drew too much of the Legion's blood needed there for... this. Hoover Dam is but a place. I will not have it be a gravestone of the Legion- whether quickly, or as you describe, slowly... by attrition."

Jovie stepped forward. "There is victory is wisdom, Legate."

Lanius nodded. "As for wisdom... there is wisdom in your words, woman of the West. Know that I shall return to the East. I shall not remain there forever. On that day, the strength of the Bear will be tested. If the West is one day filled with ones such as you, perhaps it shall be a worthy fight, indeed."

Jovie shook her head. "If you feel that war matters that much, perhaps you will see differently in time."

Lanius chuckled. "My coming would have saved you, set your people free in ways they cannot see. War would have tested them. Broken the weak with its violence, yet allowing the strong to arise. Violence gave you that strength, awakened you- I can see it in your face, where two bullets left their mark." At this remark, Jovie had to take a sharp inhale of breath. A fire sparked inside her... He was right... it had changed her. "Perhaps it is unfortunate Vulpes was not here to hear your words... something tells me you would prove more than his match." He motioned for his men to head out. "Until the day when our armies meet again, NCR- I shall wait for you on the battlefield."

And they left. Orders were given not to shoot as they fled. Jovie stood there, her legs feeling like jelly, and yet...

"Holy shit..." Boone breathed just as the rest ran in.

"What? What happened? I take it we won?" Veronica asked, breathless from fighting.

"Jovie just talked down the Legate," Arcade murmured. They all looked at her, and she turned around, seemingly shocked, then-

"You're all okay!" she sobbed openly. "Oh my god, you're all okay!"

"Well, minor hiccups here and there. Ya know, the traditional battle wounds," Cass nodded. She looked at Boone. "You all right there, Champ?"

"Yeah."

Oliver walked up, and Jovie made her way to him. They watched her talk to him for a moment, him thanking her for NCR's victory over the Dam and for pushing Legion East again. Standard protocol. She then excused herself and walked to her friends, all waiting. She smiled at them, still crying.

"Jovie, c'mon girl, dry those tears," Arcade urged.

"S-Sorry," she wept. "I'm just really happy." She stopped crying, and there was a silence.

"So... now what?" Cass asked.

"I guess... we go back to what we were before," Veronica murmured.

"No," Jovie quickly rejected. "You do something better. Go out and do good in the world. Leave an impression and let them know that friends of the Courier are good people to be trusted."

Raul nodded with a smile. "I can do that. Rafaela would like that, too. I'm old, but I still got plenty time left."

Arcade took off his helmet. "You know I have to go back to the Enclave, but I'll do my part, I promise." He leaned down and gave her another kiss on the forehead. "You did so much for me, Jovie. I can't thank you enough."

Cass adjusted her cowboy hat on her head. "I don't drink like I used to because of you."

"I'm... sorry?" Jovie confusingly apologized.

Cass laughed. "Just messin' with ya. If it hadn't been for ya, I'd been in a ditch somewhere dead, my liver exploded or something." She hugged her. "I just wanna say thanks."

They heard a sniffle, and Veronica was crying. "Ronnie-"

"I'll always treasure that dress," she sobbed. "I'll find my place in the world, one way or the other. And on special days... I'll wear it. Okay?" She threw her arms around Jovie. "Okay?"

"Okay," Jovie smiled, rubbing Veronica's back.

Raul was next. "You showed me I could keep on after everythin', boss," he spoke. "I thought about Rafaela an awful lot, how I'd failed and would always be a failure. But you... you're special." He hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Don't let your light die out."

Lily gave Jovie a strong pat on the back. "Grandma's proud of you. You turned out a good kid."

"Thanks, Lily," Jovie beamed.

She then gave ED-E a pat, then bent down and hugged Rex.

"You're free to go, boy," she told him. "Go on. The King's waitin', I'm sure."

She then looked to Boone, who held onto his side. He'd be fine; just another scar. During the battle, his sunglasses had been broken, so she was able to look into his eyes. Everyone just sort of unintentionally watched as they walked slowly away.

"Been through a hell of a lot together, huh?" Jovie asked.

"Sure have."

"I think I'll go back to Goodsprings," Jovie said, playing with her side braid. "Not sure you've been there, but it's really nice. It's smaller than Novac, but the folks are nice. They helped me when I first came to."

"Goodsprings, huh?" He winced slightly. "You mentioned that place yesterday."

"Mm-hm," she nodded. "I think when I'm not helping people out or anything, I'll have a place of my own there. That way, I can come home, rest, and set out again."

"Sounds nice."

She looked down at the ground. "You're going back to Novac?"

"Seems that way."

Her chest hurt. "I see." She wanted to cry. What had this all been about? Everything? Was it all just... for nothing? For him to use her? "You... you have history there. Carla and the baby... and you're friends with Manny again."

"Yeah."

She nodded. "I'm glad." She looked up at him and smiled her characteristic smile. "I'm really glad, Boone."

"Boone". Why did that hurt?

"Take care of yourself, Jove."

"I will," she continued to smile. "And you, too, okay? You're a changed man now, doing things for the better. I wanna hear word that you're still doing that. Okay?"

"Of course."

He watched her go... until she was completely out of sight. A medic nearby wanted to take a look at his wound on his torso. He would lose the shirt, so he unzipped the front zipper of his backpack, opened it up...

Staring up at him was that little plush dinosaur.


	9. Chapter 9

_*I know I said I don't like the F-bomb, but I'm using it here for emphasis on Manny's and Boone's anger. Hope it doesn't bother anyone! Also, I think this is it, unless I want to add an afterthought. Thank you so much for the support. It means a lot!*_

 _Dear Boone,_

 _I write this letter knowing the choice you are to make when the time comes. I won't lie. It hurts. The feelings I developed for you were real, and what we did, the way we bonded, I had a hope._

 _But this isn't about that. I wrote each person a letter, addressing what happened between us personally. This is yours, obviously._

 _When I first met you, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to punch you, hug you, or just leave you behind in Novac. I gave you a chance, and despite not getting along at first, you were the best damn sniper I'd ever seen. And then... you started opening up to me. I don't know what it was about you, but you were different than the rest. I wanted to help everyone, but you... you, I wanted to save. I hope to God I did. Because I could see that beyond that fissure of a torn soul was a light brighter than the Mojave sun. The kind of person you were and the kind of person I knew you could be, I saw them both. If I managed to save just a little of that gentleness, then... I'll be happy._

 _I am so glad to have met you, sniper rifle pointed at me and all. Regardless of the differences we had and the separate ways we have gone... I just want to let you know. You are my best friend... and that is the truth. I never blamed you, Boone, for anything that was said or done. Not once. Even if we are to never meet again, you hold a dear place in my heart._

 _Be happy._

 _Zion Jovie Pruitt_

"...Jove..." he whimpered, his hands shaking as he read the letter that had been attached to the plush dinosaur.

 **XXXXXX**

He stepped through the gate of Novac, the dust at his feet stirring. Quiet as ever... He knew Manny was up at the mouth of the dinosaur on his shift, so he quietly walked to his hotel room, used the key to unlock it, and opened the door, the sunlight lighting the inside. The bed was still in a mess from... He sighed and closed the door, tossing his backpack on a chair that was next to the door. He then opened up the front zipper... and hesitated a moment before reaching down and pulling out the plush dinosaur, setting it on his nightstand.

He sat down on the bed and just stared at the dinsoaur.

" _I'm with you."_

" _As always?" she asked._

He couldn't stand to look at it any longer.

" _As always."_

He laid back on the bed, putting his hands behind his head. He smelled her... That familiar scent he knew to only be hers. In his mind, he recalled parts of the night they shared in the bedroom, and he rose up in a hurry, a flustered groan escaping his lips.

He heard a knock on the door.

"Boone? Ya back, man? Chris Haversham told me he saw you."

"Yeah," Boone replied, getting on his feet. "It's open, Manny."

Manny opened the door, and with a smile came forward and wrapped his arms around Boone, giving him a couple pats on his back. "I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you again, Boone. Gotta say, shocked the hell outta me." He looked him over. "Were you hurt?"

"I was shot in the stomach, but nothing major," he answered.

"That's a relief. I heard it was kind of a bloodbath." He looked around the room. "Where's Jovie?" Boone didn't answer. Manny grinned. "If she's in the john, that's okay. We all gotta go. I just wanna see her. If you're okay, she's gotta be okay, too, right?"

"Yeah," Boone nodded, "she's okay."

Manny's smile faded. He looked around the room then at the plush dinosaur before his eyes went to the window. "She's not here."

"No."

Tension filled the room as Manny put his hands on his hips. "She coming later?"

"No, Manny."

Boone heard one of Manny's knuckles crack. "Wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" Boone didn't open his mouth, and instantly regretted it as Manny's fist collided with the side of his jaw. Half-expecting it, he stumbled slightly, but it still stung like hell. His sunglasses went askew, falling to the floor.

"Jesus, Manny."

"What did you do to her? Huh? Did you use her then leave her?" Boone's eyes locked onto Manny's, and he nodded. "Yeah, I know what happened that night. I was on my way over to apologize to you when I heard what was going on." He laughed in disbelief. "So, what? You can't get over Carla, but you need a good fucking from a woman who has done everything for you, only for you to leave her?"

"It's not like that, Manny. Christ..." Boone nearly growled. "It wasn't just a one time deal... it happened twice. The day before the dam... and here." He shook his head. "I... Manny, I felt something with her, but there's more to this."

Manny's fist collided with the other side of his face, this time pissing Boone off.

"All right, Man. Do that one more time, and we're gonna have problems."

Manny shook his hand, his knuckles aching from the impact of the punch. "You're an absolute jackass." He punched him again. "She sacrificed so much for you! She helped you out of that dark tunnel you were in made you see that you were meant to do better things than being here at this dinosaur, alone!"

Boone punched Manny this time, tired of getting punched for his decision. "Lay. The fuck. Off."

"No!" Manny yelled. "I kept my mouth shut about Carla, and look what happened! I won't do that here." He punched him again, Boone's vision starting to shake. If they didn't stop fighting... "You had a chance with her! I even liked her, Boone! She was sweet and kind, and she sure did a hell of a lot for a bunch of people she didn't know hide nor hair of. She shined onto you like you wouldn't believe. I could see it in her green eyes... those eyes like I'd never seen before. She was perfect for you. But you couldn't handle that. All you wanted was a dream that was long gone."

"You son of a bitch," Boone growled, punching Manny hard enough that he was sure he broke a knuckle... and Manny's nose. Manny reeled back as the blood exploded, his hands up to his nose. "I wanted a new dream, don't you get it?!" He staggered backwards until his back hit the table then turned around, pressing his hands on the table. "...I wanted a new dream... with her..."

He heard the door to his room open and close, and in about ten minutes, Manny came back with beer, two shot glasses, and medical supplies. They treated each other then started drinking. Boone coughed, Manny nodding as he downed his first shot.

"Still not much of a drinker, huh?"

"Nah."

Manny poured another shot for the both of them. "You love her, Boone."

Boone didn't hesitate. "Yeah... yeah, I do."

"Then what's keeping you?"

Boone leaned back in his chair as he looked out his window. "What do you think?"

"She's different." Manny took a sip this time. "She can hold her own."

Boone scoffed in agreement as he took a swig. "You know... the other night, I had a dream. About Carla."

"Yeah?"

"She told me that I deserved a chance at happiness. That she was happy here, but just didn't belong." He medically taped his broken index finger to his middle finger. "Manny, you remember. Her eyes were blue, and she was blonde... you remember?" Manny nodded. "In the dream, she begged me to give Jove a chance... and her eyes changed to green, her hair to dark brown."

Manny sat up in his chair. "...Jovie's colors."

Boone filled in shot glass again. "What the hell does that mean? Huh?"

"C'mon, man, you know I don't believe in that dream shit."

"Manny, listen," Boone implored. "She _changed_."

Boone threw back the swig, filling the glass again. "Whoa, Boone. You may wanna call it. You're not much of a drinker, so you'll probably be a lightweight."

"Maybe I wanna get drunk."

"You're more than halfway there."

Boone shot Manny a look. "Cut the shit. That dream meant something."

Manny exhaled and leaned forward. "Okay, so maybe it did. I gotta admit, it is a little weird." He moved his shot glass around on the table, his eyes on it. "Maybe, man. I think Carla would want you happy." He stood up. "Listen, I'm gonna get back to my shift. Told Cliff I was taking one. He's gonna be confused seeing me roughed up like this."

Boone could feel the alcohol starting to take affect. He tried to stand up, but that didn't work. He just sat back down. "...Sorry."

"Nah, man, I was the one who started that fight," Manny waved off. "Look, I'll come back later and check on you, okay?"

Manny left, leaving Boone to his thoughts and a shot glass, along with some beer. He decided enough was enough and shoved the shot glass off the table, contents spilling on the carpet. Not that he cared. He stood up, staggered again, but made it to the bed. He sat there a minute and just stared. Then, in his peripheral, the dinosaur caught his eye. He grew angry.

"What the hell you lookin' at?" He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, the room seemingly moving around. He shook his head, but that made it worse... and what made it even more worse was that stupid dinosaur. "I don't need you to judge me!" He then laughed and put his hand on his forehead. "I'm talking to a plush dinosaur, what the actual hell..." He shrugged. "Fuck it. I don't care. You know why I didn't go with her? Think I didn't want to go with her? You're wrong." He pulled out his pistol and idly waved it around. "Shh, don't worry. Safety is on." He then put it on the table. "I'm an ex-soldier with PTSD and depression. I've thought about using that pistol to put an end to it all way more times than I would ever tell Jove." He leaned toward the dinosaur. "But don't tell her I told you that, okay? It'll be our little secret." He then sat upright, shock on his face. "Come to think of it... when I was with her, I didn't think about it as much. Sure, there were days where the depression was worse than others, but I mean, hey. Who doesn't have those days, amiright?" He sighed. "She... calmed me. I was way more harsh to her than she ever deserved, and I should've apologized more. I should've been better. I should've- oh god!" He hurried, ran staggeringly into the bathroom, and threw up. He was in there a good while, throwing up just as much liquor as he drank. When he was certain he was done, he half-crawled out of the bathroom and opened his fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and downing it, then a second bottle, downing that one as well. He sat beside his refrigerator for a second, breathing heavily from hurling and chugging two bottles of water-

"Shit! Shit shit shit shit!" he repeated as he scrambled to get to his feet. He ran to the dinosaur and placed it gently in his backpack, then picked up his pistol, putting it in its holster, and slinging his sniper rifle on his shoulder. He ran out the door, up the stairs of the dinosaur, inside-

"Well, if it ain't Cra-"

Boone didn't let Cliff finish as he opened the door to the sniper's roost, where Manny was standing, sniper rifle in hand. Manny jumped and turned around.

"Jesus sakes', Boone!"

"I made a mistake!"

Manny realized that while, sure, he was a lightweight, he sobered up pretty quickly. "Yeah, you did."

"What do I do?"

Manny reeled back. "What the hell you mean, 'What do I do?' You go after her."

Boone shook his head. "She's always helping people. She told me she was going to make Goodsprings her home, but that's only when she's not traveling."

"Then you go to Goodsprings and you wait."

Boone shook his head again. "What if she gets hurt? What if-"

"Boone, shut up a second and calm down," Manny interrupted. "Knowing her, she's tired. Goodsprings isn't that far from here. If you hurry, I'm sure you can catch her before she sets off again to help someone."

"Right. You're right," Boone nodded, sweating profusely. Manny knew he was sweating his hangover out. "You're a lifesaver."

"Just bring her to see me when you get her back, okay?" Manny called as Boone left.

XXXXXX

Three days, and that's without sleeping. He ate and drank as he walked, popped off the stray raider or animal. He saw the water tower, and he remembered Jovie telling him that's one of the first things she saw when Benny pulled the bag off her head. That's where the cemetery was. He picked up his speed, not caring how tired he was or that his feet hurt. Hopefully, she was there.

The first house he came upon, a man was outside tending to his garden. He stopped alongside his fence and leaned over it slightly.

"Excuse me," he called. The man stopped hoeing and looked up at Boone, then at once became wary.

"NCR First Recon? What's a man like you doin' out here?"

"Retired," Boone answered. "Can you tell me something? I'm looking for someone named Jovie. She here?"

"Jovie? Why, yeah, she's here." Boone nearly fainted. "She's in that house right there, second one over." He inched toward Boone. "She ain't in any trouble, is she?"

"God, no," Boone hastily replied, walking. "Thanks so much."

He practically ran to the house and tried to open the door, but it was locked. He started knocking, loudly, with his unhurt hand, until the door swung open-

"Good lord, I said I was comin- oh my go- oof!"

Boone wrapped his arms around her, hugging her so firmly that they moved an inch or two backwards, knocking Jovie out of her shoes. For the longest time, they just stood there, him enveloping her, his injured hand on the back of her head, caressing it. She could scarcely breathe, he was holding her so tightly.

"B-Boone?" she muttered, unmistakably startled to see him there.

"Jove... Jove, I made a mistake. And I'm sorry."

She tried to look up, but couldn't. "I don't understand."

"You did so much for me... you told me you loved me, and I... I let you walk away. I let you leave." He shook slightly. "You saved my life, Jove. Not just when we fought together, no. You literally saved my life. I had plans to end it all, but you... And I let you walk away..."

She felt teardrops on her arms. She finally looked up at him to see his glasses gone, tears streaming down his face. "Huhn... that's twice you've done that... I'm sorry to be the one to cause them."

"Don't talk like that," he shook his head. "This was my fault. Jove, it took Manny beating the shit out of me, me getting so drunk I talked to that plush dinosaur, and throwing my guts up to realize that I had made the biggest mistake of my life." He held her tighter again. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. As soon as I sobered up, I made it here in three days. I hoped, prayed you'd be here... and here you are." He let her go and looked at her. She was in an old pair of ripped up jeans, a white t-shirt, and tennis shoes, dirty. The house was being gutted.

"Sorry... about the house," she grinned nervously. "It's one of the ones they had bolted up. Until we get it situated, I'm staying in Victor's old shack." She took a step toward Boone. "Boone... I understood. I did. It hurt, but I-"

"You shouldn't have to understand. You shouldn't have to have hurt," he interrupted her. "God, I was such an idiot. I had Carla and Manny, the gang- everyone was telling me what I couldn't and refused to see." He put his hand on her cheek. "I love you, Jove." A tear fell and hit his thumb, which he then wiped away. "I've loved you for a long time. I just... I was blinded by the past. I'm sorry."

She smiled, closed her eyes, and leaned her head into his hand. "Is it... is it okay if I call you 'Craig'?"

"It hurt when you stopped."

"It hurt when you left."

"Fair enough."

She opened her green eyes and focused on his. "If you want... this place can be ours. Think... that's possible?"

"I do," he nodded. "I'll help. I can bring my stuff from the hotel- it's my stuff, I paid for it, and God knows Jeannie May don't need it anymore. We'll make this our home."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Jovie smiled. She then stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Boone softly. "I've missed you."

He hugged her again, picking her up off the ground as he kissed her back. "That's the last time you'll ever have to say that to me. I promise you."

XXXXXX

 _Ten years later_

They stood at the entrance to Goodneighbor. It had been ten years... Ten long years since they had seen each other. They had kept in touch from time to time, sending letters. But, god, had they missed each other. Age had crept on them, a couple had spouses now, and they were ready to see what was in store.

"What taking so long?" Lily roared. "Ready to see grandson!"

"They're coming, Lily, just hold your horses," Cass laughed, patting the Supermutant's muscular arm.

"Wait... I think I see them coming," Veronica spoke. "Oh my god..."

Over the hill walked Jovie in a light green dress with dress shoes, Boone in blue jeans and a plaid button-up shirt and cowboy boots. Jovie was holding onto a small boy's hand while Boone was holding onto a small girl's hand. Rex and ED-E saw Jovie and Boone and started barking and making noises, and everyone could surmise they were excited. The King was there with Rex, and even he couldn't help but to smile to see Jovie. They reached the group, and they exchanged hugs and handshakes. Raul gave Jovie a kiss on her cheek, Arcade on her forehead as usual. The children just sort of looked at each other.

"Haha, sorry, guess introductions are in order," Jovie laughed.

Cass nodded, glancing at her husband and daughter. "I guess so. This is who I've been tellin' ya'll about. This is Jovie and her husband Boone and their kids, Cooper."

"Oh, all right," Cooper nodded. "Finally great to get a face to the crazy stories I've been told all these years."

Boone laughed. "Yeah? I'm sure she told you I was sort of a bear."

Cooper gave a slight nod. "Eh."

"It's okay. I know I was."

Cass looked at her daughter. "Wanna tell 'em your name?"

The little girl with freckles, red hair, and blue eyes, just like her mother, nodded. "Prairie."

"That's so pretty!" Veronica beamed. She pushed a woman forward, who had short black hair and indigo eyes. Her skin was pale, and she had a beauty mark under her lip. "This is my wife, Anna."

"Nice to meet you, Anna," they all greeted.

"I know, I know. Finally settled down after all these years. Crazy, right?" Veronica grinned.

"Especially after knowing your pa- ouch!" Arcade was interrupted when Cass elbowed him in his ribs. "Not married yet, but we're getting there, aren't we?"

His boyfriend (pepper hair, beard and mustache, tall and thin with glasses- they only surmised he was just as nerdy as Arcade) nodded. "I'm James. I've heard so many things about all of you, and I'm glad to meet you."

Boone looked down at his and Jovie's children. "Wanna tell them what makes you two so special?"

"We're twins!" the boy grinned. "My name's Phoenix."

"I'm Raven. Named after birds," the girl beamed.

They then noticed... Boone had let his hair grow out. Light brown, unkempt. It looked... right. The twins had dark brown like their mother, but the boy had green eyes while the girl had heterochromia- her left eye was green while her right eye was blue. She pointed out that's also what made her special. Prairie awed at her eyes.

"That's so cool! How come you didn't get it, Phoenix?"

"I dunno. But I have this cool thing where I can see pretty well in the dark and pretty far away."

"Ah, something he inherited from Boone, I see," Arcade nodded. "It is interesting, this heterochromia. Think-"

"No," everyone chimed in.

Then, it got serious. Jovie stepped up and smiled.

"I'm glad you're all here. I really am."

"Of course we'd be," Veronica spoke.

"And I'm glad to see you all doing well," Jovie continued. "We went through a lot together ten years ago, nearly didn't make it out that last battle. And seeing you here, happy..." Her lip quivered. "It makes me happy."

Cass wiped away a stray tear. "You always were an emotional one."

Jovie laughed. "But, uh... what made you come back?"

" _Come with me. We'll deal with Legion together," Jovie told Boone._

" _Huhn, the Outpost lost its appeal three bottles ago. Sure. I'll tag along," Cass agreed._

" _I may not have all the answers for how to fix Freeside's problems, but Caesar taking control isn't part of the solution," Arcade told Jovie._

" _So, uh... where are ya headin'?" Veronica asked Jovie._

" _Took ya long enough! Can I go home now?" Raul asked after being freed by Jovie._

" _Take care o' him... will ya?" the King asked, petting Rex._

" _Naughty children run from their punishment, but we'll find Benny, won't we, Leo?" Lily asked._

"We were in this together. Or, you put us in this together, from the start," Boone answered, taking hold of her hand. "We stand by each other, even after all these years. Right?"

Everyone nodded.

Tears fell from Jovie's eyes. "Right."

"Think about it. Most of us were pretty unhappy where we were," Veronica spoke up. "Then you showed up, helped us out, and here we are today."

Boone leaned toward Jovie and kissed her cheek. "That's right. Here I am today."

Jovie had never felt happier or more whole. Eleven years ago, she was left for dead, two bullet holes to her head. Eleven years later, here they were, families of their own. She and Boone, twins as unique as the two were themselves. And with friends that were even more unique, who had stayed around for over a decade.

Whatever life she had before, sometimes she wondered about. But for now, she was content with this life she had before her.

Nothing else mattered.


End file.
